Tanzanian Premier League champions Young Africans and Libyan counterparts Al-Ahli Tripoli produced the biggest win margins as the first preliminary round of the 2022/2023 CAF Champions League ended on Sunday.
In Dar es Salaam, the Tanzanian side also known as Yanga produced a five-star performance, thrashing South Sudan’s debutants Zalan Rumbek 5-0.
Congolese import Fiston Mayele was in form once again, hitting his second consecutive hat-trick as they produced a sterling result.
The other two goals were scored by Farid Musa and new signing Stephen Aziz Ki.
The result saw Yanga progress to the second preliminary round with a 9-0 aggregate victory, having won the first leg 4-0 the previous weekend.
Meanwhile, Al-Ahli Tripoli were 4-0 winners at home against Zanzibar League champions Kikosi Maalum cha Kuzuia Magendo Sports Club (KMKM).
Ahmed Kamal El-Trbi netted a brace, adding to one each from Ibrahim Tandia and Al Gaderi, as they ran out 6-0 winners on aggregate.
They had won the first leg in the island nation 2-0.
Another team to pick a big second leg result was Tunisia’s US Monastir who beat Rwandese champions APR 3-0 at home to progress 3-1 on aggregate.
They bounced back from their 1-0 first leg defeat in Huye the previous weekend.
Algeria’s JS Kabylie also bounced back from first leg prelims, beating Casa Sport of Senegal 3-0, having tasted a 1-0 first leg defeat.
DR Congo’s AS Vita Club also earned a comfortable win, after bouncing back from a first leg defeat.
This was after beating Botswana’s Gaborone United 3-1 at home, to progress 3-2 on aggregate having lost the first leg away 1-0.
Algeria’s CR Belouizdad also progressed to the second round with a three-star victory, beating Sierra Leone’s Bo Rangers 3-0 at home.
Meanwhile, Ghanaian giants Asante Kotoko were stunned by Burkina Faso’s Kadiogo who beat them 1-0 at home.
But they had to progress through penalty kicks after a 1-1 aggregate draw, following a similar win by the Ghanaian side in the first leg in Ouagadougou a week earlier.
Other big guns to sail into the second round include Tanzania’s Simba who beat Malawi’s Nyasa Big Bullets 2-0 on the day and 4-0 on aggregate.
Asec Mimosas of Côte d’Ivoire also beat Benin Republic’s Coton Sport FC, while South Africa’s Cape Town City drew 0-0 with Otoho d’Oyo after winning the first leg 2-0.
Also, Angola’s Petro de Luanda beat Mozambique’s Black Bulls 5-1 on aggregate.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the conclusion of the first preliminary round now takes the teams to the second preliminary round, with matches starting in October.
This is where the seeded teams, including defending champions Wydad Athletic Club and record champions Al Ahly of Egypt, will join in.
The winners from the second preliminary round will qualify for the group stages.
Second Preliminary Round Fixtures
Rivers United (Nigeria) versus Wydad AC (Morocco)
Plateau United (Nigeria) versus EST (Tunisia)
ASN Nigelec (Niger) versus Raja CA (Morocco)
US Monastir (Tunisia) versus Al Ahly SC (Egypt)
Vipers SC (Uganda) versus TP Mazembe (DR Congo)
Volcan Moroni/La Passe versus Mamelodi Sundowns (South Africa)
ASEC Mimosas (Côte d’Ivoire) versus Horoya AC (Guinea)
ASKO de Kara (Togo) versus JS Kabylie (Algeria)
CD Mongomo/Djoliba AC versus CR Belouizdad (Algeria)
Young Africans (Tanzania) versus Al Hilal (Sudan)
Al Merreikh (Sudan) versus Al-Ahli Tripoli (Libya)
Flambeau du Centre (Burundi) versus Elect/Zamalek
Cape Town City (South Africa) versus Petro Atletico (Angola)
Primeiro de Agosto (Angola) versus Simba SC (Tanzania)
Royal Leopards (Eswatini) versus Coton Sport (Cameroon)
Rail Club de Kadiogo (Burkina Faso) versus AS Vita Club (DR Congo)
(NAN)
