Sixteen teams have qualified for the group stages of this year’s Caf Champions League after edging their adversaries on aggregate at the end of the first round second leg fixtures played across the continent during the weekend.
Two African giants, who have been tipped to progress to the next stage of the competition, shockingly crashed out, while Tunisia and Egypt remain the only nations with two representatives moving to the next round.
In Kinshasa, Equatorial Guinean controversial midfielder Francisco Obama Ondo scored his third goal in CAF Champions League as AS Vita of DR Congo trounced Gambia Ports Authority 2-0 on Sunday at the Stade de Marthyrs in Kinshasa to book a place in the group stages of the competition.
Rwandese forward Ernest Sugira scored the other goal of the match to see the Congolese side win 3-1 on aggregate after a first leg’s 1-1 draw in Banjul a week ago.
In other matches played across the continent Zambian side Zanaco drew 0-0 with Young Africans of Tanzania in Lusaka.Zanaco hence made it to the next round on away goals after drawing 1-1 in Dar es Salaam a week ago.
In Addis Ababa, St George booked a place in the group phase of the CAF champions’ league after beating visiting AC Leopards from Congo 2-0 winning 3-0 on aggregate.
St George’s won the first leg 0-1 away before storming to the groups after a deserved 2-0 win at home.
The schocking result of the day was witnessed in Harare where hosts CAPS United eliminated giants TP Mazembe after a goalless draw in the second leg to qualify on the away goal rule following their first leg’s one all draw in Lubumbashi.
In Kampala, defending champions Mamelodi Sundowns came from behind to draw 1-1 with KCCA FC in Uganda and advance 3-2 on aggregate.
Geoffrey Sserunkuma scored for the Ugandans before Antony Laffor salvaged a draw 10 minutes to the final whistle to send the defending champions into the next round.
Elsewhere, Wydad Casablanca of Morocco gained ascedancy in the tie edging Gabonese outfit Mounana 5-4 on penalties after losing 1-0 in Libreville.
Another north african side Al Ahly Tripoli of Libya were defeatd 3-1 by FUS Rabat of Morocco but made it to the next stage on away goal.
Brahim El Bahri hit a brace to give FUS a two-goal advantage before Mouayad Ali halved the scoring three minutes into the second half for the Tunisians.
In Ougadougou,Algerian side USM Alger secured a group slot despite suffering 1-0 defeat by Rail Kadiogo of Burkina Faso.
Mohamed Kahan scored the RC Kadiogo goal moments after the start of the second stanza in a match marred by violence.
Madagascar giants CNaPS Sport were eliminated by Coton Sport of Cameroon after they were held 1-1 at home.
Going into the match, the Cameroonians had a 1-0 first leg advantage and hence sailed on 2-1 in aggregate.
Summary of 16 teams that qualified to group stages:
Mamelodi Sundowns ( South Africa)
Al Ahly (Egypt )
Zamalek ( Egypt)
Al Hilal ( Sudan )
Esperance Tunisia
Wydad Casabalanca ( Morocco )
AS Vita ( DR Congo )
USM Alger ( Algeria )
Al Merriekh ( Sudan )
Al Tripoli ( Libya )
Zanaco ( Zambia )
CAPS United ( Zimbabwe )
BYC ( Liberia )
St. George ( Ethiopia )
Cotonsport ( Cameroon )
Etoile du Sahel ( Tunisia )
