Goal drought in CAF Champions League action
Goal drought in Champs League action
Posted: 2011-08-30 11:44
Cameroon Cotonsport Garoua were the only one of eight clubs involved in African Champions League action at the weekend to find the back of the net.
Cotonsport defeated Sudanese visitors Al-Hilal 2-0 with one of the goals coming from a defender, Central African Republic import Auzingoni Zimbori.
Striker Jacques Haman put the 2008 runners-up ahead on 28 minutes in what was a must-win game for the home team, and Zimbori struck soon after half-time.
Enyimba of Nigeria forced a 0-0 draw at Raja Casablanca of Morocco in a clash of former champions and stayed top of Group A with eight points after four rounds.
Hilal, who are coached by former Orlando Pirates’ mentor Milutin ‘Micho’ Sredrojevic, have seven, Cotonsport four and Raja are virtually out of the race for two semi-finals places with a meagre two points.
Each club has one home fixture to come during September, and Enyimba and Hilal will advance to the penultimate stage if they triumph in Aba and Omdurman.
Raja, who scored 10 goals in their first qualifier, have been a major disappointment having failed to score in four mini-league matches.
Group B is more intriguing with Wydad Casablanca of Morocco and Esperance of Tunisia on six points and record six-time champions Al Ahly of Egypt one point behind.
After scoring 12 goals in their previous four African outings, Wydad often had 10 men behind the ball as they forced a 0-0 draw at Esperance of Tunisia.
That result opened the door for Ahly to go top if they won in Algeria, but poor away form proved their undoing again and they only drew 0-0 at winless Mouloudia Alger.
Ahly have not scored in four Champions League away games this year – a major concern for Portuguese coach Manuel Jose with a crucial clash at Wydad looming.
After a drawn four-goal thriller in Morocco two weeks ago, Esperance were too tired and Wydad too cautious to deliver more fireworks at El-Menzah Stadium.
Tunisian Wajdi Bouazzi squandered the best chance of the opening half by shooting tamely at goalkeeper Nadir Lamyaghri after breaking through.
A packed Wydad defence offered few scoring opportunities and a 25-metre drive from Khaled Korbi was the closest Esperance came to breaking the deadlock after the break.
Wasteful Emad Moteab, two-goal star when Ahly defeated Mouloudia in Cairo, was substituted by Dominique da Silva, but the Mauritanian fared no better in Algiers.
: 2011-08-30 12:34
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