Football
KweséESPN staff 7y

Goals, drama galore in CAF Champions League group stage

Goals rained in on the opening night of action in the group phase of the Champions League as the expanded format produced one mismatch but a bevy of exciting contests.

Etoile Sahel, winners of the competition 10 years ago, handed Mozambique's Ferroviario Beira a harsh welcome to the group phase with a 5-0 thumping in Sousse, led by a double from Brazilian striker Acosta.

Compatriots Esperance also made a solid start, and there were also victories for the other top north African contenders USM Alger, Wydad Casablanca and last year's runners-up Zamalek.

But the Sudanese derby between Al Hilal and Al Merreikh, among the fiercest on the continent, ended in a 1-1 stalemate.

Acosta and Alkhaly Bangoura had Etoile well on their way by halftime and the 26-year-old Brazilian, who previously played in South Korea, got his second with the last of five after Hamza Lahmar and ex-Algerian international Hameur Bouazza, who had a past stint in the English Premier League, had scored.

Also in Group A, arch-rivals Al Hilal and Al Merreikh shared the honours in Omdurman after Hilal had led at halftime through Nigerian Azeez Shobowale. On the hour-mark, Elsamani Elsawi produced a magical goal to level matters and ensure a stalemate.

Esperance, opening up the expanded group phase with the afternoon match on Friday, beat AS Vita Club of the Democratic Republic of Congo 3-1 after conceding an early goal to Yazid Atouba, the Cameroonian import, after 10 minutes at the Rades Stadium. Fousseny Coulibaly equalised 10 minutes later and then a penalty seven minutes after that, converted by Taha Yassine Khenissi, handed Esperance the half-time lead. Vita were down to 10 men early in the second half with the sending off of Yannick Litombo, but it took a breakaway to make sure of the three points through Anice Badri in the 87th minute.

In Group B, USM Alger strode comfortably past Al Ahli Tripoli from nearby Libya, with defender Farouk Chafai (31st), Malagasy import Carolus Andriamatsinoro (44th) and substitute Oussama Darfalou (83rd minute) all netting for the the 2015 runners-up.

Zamalek were 2-0 winners over Zimbabwe's CAPS United - another of the group phase rookies - in Alexandria, but took until just before the hour-mark to open the scoring through Bassem Morsi, the striker who was controversially left out of the African Nations Cup squad by Egypt at the start of the year. Stanley Ohawuchi added a second near the end.

Wydad Casablanca opened up Group D with home success at the Mohamed V Stadium over Cameroon's Coton Sport. William Jebor, their Liberian striker, made it 1-0 after 39 minutes and a second from Amine Atouchi followed in the 63rd minute.

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