UYO, Nigeria — Enyimba of Nigeria came from two goals behind to draw 2-2 with CAF Confederation Cup title-holders Zamalek of Egypt in Group D.
The Cairo club dominated the first half of the matchday 2 clash in southeastern city Uyo and built a two-goal lead after 40 minutes through Tunisian Seifeddine Jaziri and Omar Faraj.
The result sees Zamalek remains top of the group with four points, while Enyimba goes up to third with their first point of the group stages.
Enyimba halved the deficit in added time at the end of the opening half when Ifeanyi Ihemekwele lobbed the ball over advancing goalkeeper Mohamed Awad.
The home side put the two-time Confederation Cup winners under pressure from the start of the second half and equalised through a deflected shot from Chinedu Ufere on 57 minutes.
The Confederation Cup is the African equivalent of the UEFA Europa League.
Enyimba created more chances than Zamalek in the closing stages only to be let down by weak finishing, AFP reported.
Among those who watched the match was Enyimba chairman Nwankwo Kanu, the former Ajax Amsterdam, Inter Milan and Arsenal star, and 1996 and 1999 African Footballer of the Year.
Zamalek won 2-0 at home against Black Bulls of Mozambique in matchday 1 while Enyimba lost 2-0 away to Al-Masry of Egypt.
CS Constantine of Algeria leads Group A with maximum points after fighting back to edge Simba of Tanzania 2-1 with Brahim Dib scoring the 50th-minute winner.
Mohamed Hussein gave Simba a first-half lead they surrendered one minute into the second half when Abdulrazack Hamza conceded an own goal.
South African outfit Stellenbosch remain pointless in Group B after crashing 3-1 at home to two-time Confederation Cup title-holders Renaissance Berkane of Morocco.
Youssef Zghoudi scored twice within 15 minutes and Reda Hajji added a third goal late in the second half before Chamani Butsaka netted for the hosts.
Orapa United of Botswana, one of six group-stage debutants, put a six-goal Group C drubbing by USM Alger behind them to hold ASEC Mimosas of the Ivory Coast 0-0 in Francistown.
USM was also involved in a goalless draw, at Jaraaf of Senegal, to hold on to first place, ahead of ASEC on goal difference.
Pyramids and Djoliba battle to draw
Egyptian side Pyramids and Djoliba AC battled to a 0-0 draw in their second Group D encounter of the CAF Champions League at the Stade du 26 Mars in Mali.
Pyramid, fresh from their dominant 5-1 victory over Sagrada Esperanca in the opening game, entered the match as favourites.
However, Djoliba, determined to bounce back after their 4-0 loss to Esperance, showed resilience and defensive solidity throughout the contest, cafonline.com reported.
The first half was a story of near misses for both teams. Pyramids’ Ramadan Sobhi and Marwan Hamdy came close with efforts that went narrowly wide, while Djoliba’s Aboubacar Diakité was a constant threat in the attacking third, missing a close-range header in the 35th minute.
The second half saw increased urgency from both sides, with Djoliba’s Daba Sogoba and Alou Doumbia creating chances but failing to convert.
For Pyramids, Walid el-Karti and Marwan Hamdy tested Djoliba goalkeeper Youssouf Koita, who stood firm to deny the Egyptian side.
Late in the game, both teams introduced substitutes in search of a winner, but neither could find the cutting edge.
Pyramids’ Marwan Hamdy had the final attempt of the match in stoppage time, but his effort was comfortably saved.
The draw sees Pyramids FC retained their position at the top of Group D with four points, tied with Esperance Tunis, who also played out a goalless draw against Sagrada.
Djoliba and Sagrada remained at the bottom with a single point each, leaving the group wide open.
RS Berkane earned a commanding 3-1 victory over Stellenbosch, while ASEC Mimosas held Orapa United to a goalless draw in a closely contested affair.
Elsewhere, Stade Malien and Desportivo Lunda-Sul shared the spoils in a 1-1 draw.
RS Berkane maintained their perfect start in Group B with a clinical performance, beating South African debutants Stellenbosch 3-1 at the Moses Mabhida Stadium in the CAF Confederation Cup.
Berkane set the tone early, with Youssef Zghoudi netting a brace of headers in the 5th and 15th minutes, both assisted by pinpoint crosses from Youssef Mehri and Ayoub Khairi respectively.
Despite a spirited effort from Stellenbosch, they struggled to capitalize on their chances. Andre de Jong hit the post in the 30th minute, summing up a frustrating evening for the hosts.
Berkane extended their lead in the 83rd minute when Reda Hajji’s sensational long-range strike found the top corner, leaving Stellenbosch’s goalkeeper rooted to the spot.
Chumani Butsaka provided a glimmer of hope for the home side with an 87th-minute goal, but it proved too little too late.
Stellenbosch’s second consecutive loss leaves them rooted to the bottom of Group B without a point, while Berkane tops the group with six points from two games.
ASEC hold Orapa
Group C saw a tactical showdown at the Francistown Stadium, where Orapa United and ASEC Mimosas played out a 0-0 draw.
The result keeps ASEC atop the group standings with four points, while Orapa remains winless but earns their first point of the campaign.
ASEC dominated possession, creating several chances, including an 80th-minute effort from Armand Dagrou that sailed just over the bar.
However, Orapa’s defense held firm, with goalkeeper Lesenya Malapela making a string of crucial saves to keep his side in contention.
The Ivorian giants will feel disappointed not to have converted their dominance into goals but remain unbeaten heading into their next fixture.
ASEC’s solid start has given them a slight edge, but with USM Alger yet to play their second game, the standings could shift dramatically.
Late drama in Angola as Stade Malien and Lunda-Sul settle for a draw
At the Estádio 11 de Novembro in Angola, Stade Malien of Mali and Desportivo Lunda-Sul produced a thrilling second-half display to draw 1-1.
Siaka Diaby opened the scoring for the Malian side in the 69th minute with a well-taken strike, only for Danilson to equalize for the Angolans five minutes later with a towering header from a corner.
The result keeps Stade Malien in second place in Group B, with four points, while Lunda-Sul’s solitary point places them third.
