Match Day 2 of the TotalEnergies CAF Confederation Cup Group Stage saw some exciting clashes with mixed results across the continent. 

Big guns TP Mazembe, defending champions RS Berkane and Orlando Pirates suffered defeats away from home. There were wins for Al Ittihad, Pyramids FC, Asec Mimosas while Simba picked up a vital away point.

Zanaco 0-2 Pyramids

Egypt’s Pyramids consolidated their hold on top of Group A in the TotalEnergies CAF Confederation Cup after picking a vital 2-0 victory away to Zambia’s Zanaco on Sunday.

South African forward Fagrie Lakay scored a double to send Pyramids to six points with their second successive group phase victory. They started their campaign last weekend with a 2-1 victory at home against Al Ahly Tripoli of Libya.

Al Ahly Tripoli 2-1 CS Sfaxien

At the Martyrs of February Stadium in Benghazi, home side Ahli picked a 2-1 win over Tunisia’s CS Sfaxien to move to second in Group A.

Aymen Harzi scored a late penalty for Sfaxien, but it couldn’t be enough to lead a turnaround with the home side having gone ahead through Chadi Hammami’s own goal and Saleh Al Taher’s wonderful goal.

Asec Mimosas 3-1 RS Berkane

In Abidjan, RS Berkane, the 2019-20 TotalEnergies CAF Confederation Cup champions suffered a 3-1 thrashing at the hands of Côte d’Ivoire side Asec Mimosas.

After a goalless first half, Asec blew to life in the second half with Stephane Aziz Ki breaking the deadlock with his second goal in as many matches after 58 minutes. Seven minutes later, Asec were 2-0 up when Souleymane Coulibaly scored the second for the hosts.

They went 3-0 up in the 70th minute when Karim Konate rifled the ball home from inside the box to all but cement their hold on the game.

Charki El Bahri scored a consolation with six minutes of regulation time left, but it was not enough to rally a comeback.

USGN 1-1 Simba SC

Tanzania’s Simba SC remained top of their group after scoring late to salvage a 1-1 draw away to Niger’s Union Sportive Gendarmerie Nationale (USGN).

The home side broke the deadlock after 12 minutes through Gbeuli Wilfried’s shot from the left. Simba’s closest chance to equalize was off a Papa Ousmane Sakho shot but it flew inches over the bar.

On the hour mark, USGN should have gone 2-0 up but Nasser Oumarou’s shot after a long ball from the keeper was flicked to his path went inches wide.

Simba kept their chase for an equalizer and they were rewarded seven minutes from time when substitute Bernard Morrison headed home from the edge of the six yard box off a Shomari Kapombe corner.

 

Al Masry 2-0 TP Mazembe

Meanwhile, Al Masry moved top of Group C with four points after beating Congolese giants TP Mazembe 2-0 in Alexandria.

After a goalless first half, Masry tightened their grip on attack in the second half and they broke the deadlock on the hour mark through Yasser Hamed.

Seven minutes later, they scored the second when Tunisian Elyes Jelassi finished off a pass from Mohamed Antar.

Al Ittihad 3-2 Orlando Pirates

In Tripoli, home side AL Ittihad beat Orlando Pirates 3-2 to move top of Group B in their first match.

Sanad Al Warfali had given the home side the lead after 14 minutes with a brilliant freekick that curled into the bottom left of the keeper’s guard. However, Pirates equalized in the 26th minute through Bandile Shandu’s long range effort.

Ittihad who were playing an entertaining match got themselves back ahead two minutes later through Musa Eisa’s curling effort from the edge of the box.

But Pirates would go ahead at the stroke of halftime when Shandu scored his second with a tap in from close range after Omar Al Khouja’s attempted clearance fell into his path in the box.

Al Khouja however made amends for his defensive error with a brilliant goal in the 53rd minute, a well taken shot on the half volley from 35 yards out of goal.

The home side managed to hold on to the lead till the final whistle.