2023/2024 CAF Champions League: Enyimba, Remo suffer narrow away losses

Two-time champions Eniymba International Football Club of Aba and Remo Star Football Club of Ikene both suffered narrow losses in their 2023/2024 CAF Champions League preliminary round first-leg matches on Sunday. Nigerian Champions, Enyimba FC suffered a 4-3 loss to Libyan side, Al Ahli Benghazi, in a highly entraining match at the Martyrs of February Stadium in Benghazi. Striker Chijioke Mboama had put the Peoples’ Elephants ahead as early as the third minute but the lead could only last five minutes before the Libyans got an equaliser. Left-back, Imo Obot, diverted a cross into his own net to gift Al Ahli Benghazi a 2-1 lead three minutes before the break. The second half produced more goals, with Eze Ekwutoziam and Murphy Ndukwu canceling out Al Ahli Benghazi’s lead to put the score at 3-3. That was before a heart-breaking stoppage time winner for the hosts, which secured a 4-3 first-leg result. Coach Finidi George’s tutored side will be buoyed by the narrow defeat and hope to overturn the deficit in a week’s time when the return leg is played at the Godswill Akpabio International Stadium, Uyo. Nigeria’s other representatives in the CAF Champions League, Remo Stars Sports Club, also suffered a 1-0 defeat to Ghanian side, Medeama Sporting Club. Jonathan Sowah scored in the 22nd minute to secure a narrow 1-0 victory for the Ghanians. Remo Stars will now be hoping to reverse the slim advantage a week from now in the return leg. In other matches also played on Sunday, Tanzanian champions Young Africans (Yanga) got their campaign off to a flying start with an emphatic 2-0 victory over Asas Djibouti at the Azam Complex Stadium in Dar Es Salaam. A wonder strike by Stephane Aziz Ki in the opening half along with another sublime hit by danger man, Kennedy Musonda, secured the win for the home side. It also ensured last season’s CAF Confederation Cup runners-up seal a win in front of their fans, as they look to build on last season’s impressive run on the continent. Meanwhile on the southern part of the continent, striker Thabang Sesinyi scored both goals of the match as Jwaneng Galaxy of Botswana played host to Uganda’s Vipers FC in another exciting fixture of the weekend. As expected, both sides went in search of the early opener, however, it was the hosts who got ahead in the 15th minute courtesy of a Thabang Sesinyi strike. Coming back from the break, the Ugandans pushed hard for the equaliser and had their fair share of chances but were denied by the brilliance of Galaxy keeper, Goitseone Phoko. Vipers continued piling on the pressure, which opened them up at the back as Sesinyi struck once again in the 72nd minute to notch up a brace and put the match beyond reach for the Ugandans. The Big Bullets of Malawi fired themselves into a comfortable position ahead of the return leg with a 2-0 victory over Equatorial Guinea’s Dragon FC. Morocco’s AS FAR had to work overtime for their 1-0 away win over a resilient ASKO Kara in Togo in a match that could have gone either way. While in Angola, Primeiro de Agosto managed a slender 1-0 victory over Congolese giants, AS Vita. Three fixtures ended in stalemates on Sunday. In Benin, nothing could separate Coton Sport and Cote d’Ivoire’s Asec Mimosas as they shared the spoils in a goalless draw. It was the same result in Guinea as hosts, Hafia were held to a 0-0 draw by Generation Foot of Senegal. Congo’s Otoho FC could not capitalise on home ground advantage as they were held to a 1-1 draw by Sudanese side, Al Merrikh who will go into the second leg with the slight advantage. The return leg of the first preliminary round of the CAF Champions League takes place next weekend. (NAN)