AFRICAN CHAMPIONS LEAGUE 2015 - GROUP STAGE - 3RD MATCHES - all results

AFRICAN CHAMPIONS LEAGUE 2015

 

GROUP A
24.07.15: Smouha vs TP Mazembe 0:2
26.07.15: Moghreb Tétouan vs Al Hilal 1:1

GROUP B
24.07.15: USM Alger vs MC El Eulma 2:1
25.07.15: Entente Setif vs Al Merreikh 1:1

 

Congolese club TP Mazembe ended a winless, goalless spell and Algerians USM Alger moved closer to the semi-finals after their third matches of the African Champions League group phase.

After two goalless draws, a multi-national TP Mazembe team triumphed 2:0 against Egyptians Smouha in Alexandria to top Group A.

Zambian Rainford Kalaba ended a 220-minute Mazembe goal drought by putting Mazembe ahead close to half-time and a late strike from Ghanaian Daniel Nii Adjei sealed success.

USM edged fellow Algerians Mouloudia El Eulma 2:1 in Algiers with Kaddour Beldjilali and Mohamed Seguer giving the hosts a two-goal advantage that was halved before half-time by Nathir Korichi.

Four-time African champions TP Mazembe climbed from third place to first, one point ahead of Sudanese Al Hilal, who are away to Moroccans Moghreb Tetouan on Sunday.

Leaders USM have a perfect Group B record with nine points from three matches while pointless Eulma remain last.

Group winners and runners-up advance to the semi-finals of the premier African club football competition, won last year by Algerians Entente Setif.

Co-title favourites with Setif this season, Mazembe were desperate for a victory in Egypt after being held at home by Hilal and away by Tetouan.

Smouha faced the Congolese having won all four qualifying and group home games, and with a new coach in Mohamed Youssef, who steered Egyptians Al Ahly to the 2013 Champions League title.

However, after wasting several scoring chances, Smouha fell behind when Malian Adama Traore set up Zambia captain Kalaba.

Traore was also the architect of the second Mazembe goal with a pass to Adjei, who punished slack defending to fire past goalkeeper Mahdy Soliman.

Egyptian Ayman El Sayed was red-carded three minutes from time after a dive resulted in a second caution.

USM began impressively in the top-versus-bottom clash against Eulma and Mohamed Bellaili assists allowed Beldjilali and Seguer to score.

But Eulma, recently relegated to the Algerian second division, recovered and Korichi reduced arrears five minutes before half-time to set up a tense second half.

Holders Entente Setif of Algeria are still looking for their first home win of the African Champions League group phase in almost five years after El Merreikh of Sudan held them to a 1:1 draw in their Group B match on Saturday.

Abdelmalek Ziaya put Setif ahead after 17 minutes with Nigerian Solomon Jabason equalising six minutes later.

Setif have not won a Champions League group stage fixture on home soil since 27 August 2010 when they beat Dynamos of Zimbabwe 3:0.

Last year, Setif won Africa's premier club competition without winning at home in the group phase.

In the defence of their title this year, they lost 2:1 to compatriots USM Alger in their first match before Saturday's 1:1 draw with Merreikh.

Setif are tied on four points in Group B with Merreikh, five points behind leaders, USM Alger.

Also in Group A this weekend, group debutants Moghreb Tetouan of Morocco take on Sudan's Al Hilal. 

Hilal could go top, above Mazembe, with a victory.

As for Tetouan, they have fared disappointingly after the mid-year transfer abroad of leading scorer Mouhcine Iajour, surrendering a two-goal lead to lose at Smouha and failing to score when held by Mazembe.

Elsewhere this weekend, Champions League-winning coaches Kheireddine Madoui and Diego Garzitto come face to face.

Madoui guides title-holders Algerians Entente Setif and Garzitto, whose glory came with TP Mazembe, steers Sudanese Al Merreikh.

Setif were surprise winners of the marquee African club football competition last year with then 37-year-old Madoui becoming the youngest coach to achieve the feat.

Widely travelled Italian Garzitto guided Mazembe to glory in 2009 and his two-leg final triumph, like that of Madoui, was achieved via the away-goal rule.

Setif and Merreikh go into the Group B showdown in Algeria level on three points after two rounds of the six-matchday series with both clubs winning and losing.

The defending champions slumped 2:1 at home to USM Alger and won 1:0 away to Mouloudia El Eulma through a stoppage-time own-goal in games against fellow Algerian clubs.

Merreikh kicked off with a 2:0 home victory over Eulma and lost 1:0 away to USM with a late Sudanese equaliser controversially disallowed.

A USM side coached by caretaker Miloud Hamdi top the table on nine points.

They defeated MC El Eulma on Friday night 2:1 - looking good to win the mini-league.

So, the pressure is on Setif and Merreikh, with their back-to-back matches in Algeria and Sudan likely to determine who advances to the semi-finals with USM.

While Madoui and Garzitto naturally want six points, both would probably be satisfied with four from a home win and an away draw.

A concern for Setif are woeful Champions League home results when it comes to group games.

The Black Eagles have been victorious just once in seven mini-league matches, against Zimbabweans Dynamos five years ago, drawn four and lost two.

Merreikh are equally dismal when it comes to mini-league away results with a draw and three losses, but the spirited showing against USM will encourage Garzitto.

"Merreikh have been making early exits from the Champions League for far too long," said the 65-year-old.

"We achieved our first goal this year by reaching the group stage after a few scares and our next ambition is a semi-finals place."

What Setif and Merreikh desperately lack are consistent scorers with no player from either side managing more than two goals from qualifying and group games.

France-born El-Hedi Belameiri, whose six goals last season made him joint leading Champions League scorer, has claimed just one in Africa this year.