CAF Champions League

The CAF Champions League's qualifying round concluded on Sunday with 15 games.

At Brazzaville, Republic of the Congo:

Despite dropping a 1-0 game-two road decision to Diables Noirs, Burkina Faso's Rail Club du Kadiogo won their series with the club from the Republic of the Congo 3-1 on aggregate.

At Port Harcourt, Nigeria:

Rivers United, with Bernard Ovoke (PK-27', PK-60') and Esosa Igbinoba (56', 79') each scoring twice, demolished visiting AS Real Bamako from Mali 4-0 in game two and won their series by that same score on aggregate.

At Conakry, Guinea:

A 2-1 home victory over US Goree enabled Horoya to oust the Senegalese club by that same score on aggregate.  Kile Bangoura scored the game (and series) winning goal in the 79th minute by successfully converting a penalty kick.

At Tunis, Tunisia:

In a match contested in Tunisia due to security concerns in Libya, Al-Ahli Tripoli blanked visiting Wa All-Stars 2-0 in game two and ousted the Ghanaian club 5-1 on aggregate. Moayad Allafi (2') and Anis Saltu (64') each scored once for the Libyan club.

At Luanda, Angola:

Despite dropping a 2-1 game-two road decision to CD Primeiro de Augusto, the Kampala City City Authority from Uganda, with the aggregate score at 2-2, advanced to the first round proper on away goals.  Geoffrey Sserunkuma scored the pivotal series-winning goal in the 21st minute for the Ugandan club.

At Bujumbura, Burundi:

CF Mounana from Gabon defeated Vital'O 1-0 on the road in game two and won their series 3-0 on aggregate.  Junior Mensah scored for the Gabonese club in the 48th minute.

At Bamako, Mali:

After dropping a 1-0 game-two regulation decision on the road to Stade Malien which deadlocked the series at 1-1 on aggregagte (and with overtime dispensed with), Liberia's Barrack Young Controllers won the penalty-kick shootout 7-6 to advance to the first round.

At Beira, Mozambique:

Ferroviario Beira overcame their series-opening defeat with a 3-1 game-two home triumph over Zimazoto and ousted the club from Zanzibar 4-3 on aggregate.  Gil Babo Atoy scored the series-winning goal on the 61st minute.

At Enugu, Nigeria:

Despite being held to a game-two 0-0 home stalemate by Algeria's JS Saoura, Enugu Rangers, with the aggregate score at 1-1, advanced on away goals.

At Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo:

AS Vita Club, with Daddy Bironi Etekiama scoring twice (58', 63'),  defeated Swaziland's Royal Leopards 3-1 at home in game two and won their series 4-1 on aggregate.

At Abidjan, Ivory Coast:

A game-two 0-0 road stalemate enabled Gambia Ports Authority to eliminate Sewe Sport 1-0 on aggregate.

At Harare, Zimbabwe:

Caps United, with goals courtesy of Simba Nhivi (51') and Ronald Chitiyo (55'),  took the second game of their series 2-1 at home against Lioli and ousted the club from Lesotho by that very same score on aggregate.

At Addis Ababa, Ethiopia:

Saint George dominated visiting Cote d'Or from Seychelles 3-0 in game two and handily won their two-match set 5-0 on aggregate.  Saladin Said (9'), Aschalew Tamene (30'), and Adane Girma (PK-38') each delivered a first-half goal for the Ethiopian club.

At Douala, Cameroon:

Despite dropping a 2-1 game-two road decision to UMS de Loum, AC Leopards from the Republic of the Congo, with the aggregate score at 2-2, won their series thanks to the away-goals rule.  Winston Kalengo scored the series-winning goal for the guests in the 53rd minute.

At Curepipe, Mauritius:

A 2-1 game-two home win sent AS Port-Louis 2000 to a 3-2 aggregate-series victory over Kenya's Tusker FC.  Ephrem Guikan scored twice in the waning minutes (84', 88')for the hosts.



Here are the match-ups for the first round proper of the CAF Champions League, with the match-one hosts listed first:

USM Alger (Algeria) vs. Rail Club du Kadiogo (Burkina Faso)

Rivers United (Nigeria) vs. Al-Merrikh (Sudan)

Etoile du Sahei (Tunisia) vs. AS Tanda (Ivory Coast)

Esperance de Tunis (Tunisia) vs. Horoya (Guinea)

Al-Ahli Tripoli (Libya) vs. FUS Rabat (Morocco)

Mamelodi Sundowns (South Africa; defending champions) vs. Kampala Capital City Authority (Uganda)

Wydad Casablanca (Morocco) vs. CF Mounana (Gabon)

Young Africans (Tanzania) vs. Zanaco (Zambia)

Ferroviario Beira (Mozambique) vs. Barrack Young Controllers (Liberia)

Zamalek (Egypt) vs. Enugu Rangers (Nigeria)

Gambia Ports Authority (The Gambia) vs. AS Vita Club (Democratic Republic of the Congo)

Coton Sport (Cameroon) vs. CNaPS Sport (Madagascar)

Al-Ahly (Egypt) vs. Bidvest Wits (South Africa)

TP Mazembe (Democratic Republic of the Congo) vs. CAPS United (Zimbabwe)

AC Leopards (Republic of the Congo) vs. Saint George (Ethiopia)

Al-Hilal (Sudan) vs. AS Port-Louis 2000 (Mauritius)

NOTE:  Due to security concerns in Libya, clubs from Libya cannot play their contests in their own country.

The two-game series are set to start the weekend of March 10-12 and conclude the following weekend, with the winners advancing to the group stage, expanded this year from eight to sixteen clubs.