Three Tanzanian teams face an uphill task to qualify for the next stages of the continental club championships following unconvincing results at the weekend.
Tanzania Mainland champions Young Africans (Yanga) were held to a 1-1 draw by Al Hilal Omdurman of Sudan in their CAF Champions League first-round, first-leg match in Dar es Salaam on Saturday. The return leg will take place on October 13 in Khartoum.
Yanga must either beat Al Hilal Omdurman or hold them to a draw of at least two goals apiece to book a place in the group stage.
The Sudanese club, on the other hand, only needs a goalless draw to go through, courtesy of the away goal they scored in Dar es Salaam.
Yanga head coach Nasreddine Nabi said they were still very much in the race, although he rued opportunities lost by the team on Saturday.
“We created many scoring chances in the match, but we failed to convert them into goals. We will sharpen our striking force ahead of the return leg,” he said.
Meanwhile, Azam FC was left with a mountain to climb after Al Akhdar of Libya crushed them 3-0 in the Confederation Cup in Benghazi on Saturday.
Azam FC must beat Al Akhdar by at least four clear goals when the two teams clash on October 15 at Azam Complex in Dar es Salaam.
Despite the defeat, Azam FC played well and created many clear opportunities, which were, however, wasted.
Elsewhere, Kipanga FC of Zanzibar played to a goalless draw against visiting Club Africain of Tunisia in a Confederation Cup fixture at Amaan Stadium in Zanzibar. A 1-1 draw in the return leg on October 15 will be enough to see Kipanga through.
Simba SC was due to play Angola’s Primeiro de Agosto in a CAF Champions League first-round, first-leg match in Luanda last evening.
Meanwhile, Brazilian Tiago Azulao starred for Petro Luanda of Angola on Saturday as they won 3-0 at Cape Town City of South Africa to virtually clinch a CAF Champions League group place.
The veteran captain and forward set up the first goal on 37 minutes for compatriot Gleison Moreira in the last 32 first leg.
Azulao converted a 48th-minute penalty to double the lead and punished a Cape Town blunder to complete the surprisingly comfortable victory with a tap-in on 63 minutes.
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He also scored in each leg of a preliminary round victory over the Black Bulls of Mozambique last month.
Source: thecitizen.co.tz
