Easy work for Sundowns and Al Ahly as Galaxy shock Wydad
It was easy as you like for continental giants Al Ahly and Mamelodi Sundowns began the CAF Champions League group with similar 3-0 home wins. In Morocco, the buzzword was ‘black magic’ after Botswana’s Jwaneng Galaxy shocked former champions Wydad Casablanca at home.
“I know a lot people expected us to just walk through but it was very difficult,” said Rulani Mokwena after the match in Pretoria. Well his players made it look very easy with Gastino Sirino’s sublime freekick being the pick of the three goals scored.
Al Ahly made easy work of Medeama SC who had come into the making all the right noises. Coach Evans Adotey had to watch a football lesson being handed out to his charges as the gulf in class showed between the two sides. He was certainly happier coming out for the second half at 0-0 before Mahmoud Kahraba, Hussein El Shahat, and Salah Mohsen found the net at regular intervals.
Morena Ramoreboli caused the biggest shock in Matchday 1 games by first beating Wydad Casablanca on the pitch and then telling an out-of-line where to get off during the post-match press conference. Thabang Sesinyi pounced on to a poor back pass and finished with the quality often found in the opponent’s strikers.
There was more shock for the Morrocans after the game as journalists pressed Ramoreboli on the use of black magic. A video of Jwaneng Galaxy players huddling at the corner flag and one of the pouring what looked like water on the corner flag arc. The big South African coach was having none of it.
“Hayi, hayi. You’re saying we won because of black magic?? Hayi don’t disrespect us!” a visibly irritated told the unmannered journalist before getting up and leaving the presser. He only turned back briefly to shake the CAF Media Officer’s hand and accepting her congratulations. Double win for the underrated coach.
Elsewhere, Young Africans of Tanzania were rudely welcomed back to the Champions League group stage by Algerian champions CR Belouizdad. Had the CRB strikers been more clinical, the baptism of fire would have been more than the 3-0 Yanga received. Al Ahly and the beaten Medeama are also this Group D hive.
Fagrie Lakay scored one of the goals of the round as Pyramids FC began the next chapter of their CAF Champions League journey with a 1-0 win over fallen giants TP Mazembe. These two sides will have their work cut out against Mamelodi Sundowns in Group A.
In the other Group B match, Simba SC and ASEC Mimosas drew 1-1, which actually helps the shocked Moroccans on the log standings. Saidi Ntibazonkiza’s penalty strike was cancelled out by Serge Pokou’s goal late in the second half. Wydad might not run away with this group as previously thought.
Group C action saw Petro de Luanda pick up three points with a workman-like 1-0 win over Sudan’s Al Hilal. Yan Sasse opened the scoring in the second half as Esperance de Tunis swept past ES Sahel in the Tunisian derby by two goals to nil.
The teams will now return briefly to domestic football before coming back onto the grand stage that is the CAF Champions League for Matchday 2 in a week’s time.
