Zamalek beat AS Port in CAF Champions League qualifying — Asharq Al-Awsat
Egyptian side Zamalek defeated Djibouti’s AS Port 2-1 in Cairo in the first match of the first qualifying round of the Confederation of African Football Champions League. The Cairo club began its bid for a sixth title in the tournament, Asharq Al-Awsat reports.
Goals in the match
Zamalek opened the scoring as early as the fifth minute, with Mohamed Shehata finding the net from close range. In the 37th minute, Angolan footballer Chico Banza doubled the team’s advantage with a header.
For AS Port, this is its first appearance in Africa’s premier club competition. The Djiboutian team reduced the deficit eight minutes before the end of regular time through a goal by Mahdi Hussein Mahbi, but was unable to equalize.
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The return match will also be held in Cairo
Both matches of the tie will be held in Cairo, as Djibouti has no stadium that meets international standards. The return match is scheduled for September 12.
Zamalek last won the CAF Champions League in 2002, when it defeated Morocco’s Raja Casablanca 1-0 on aggregate in a two-legged final. Since then, the club has reached the final twice: it lost to South Africa’s Mamelodi Sundowns in 2016 and, four years later, to its fierce Egyptian rival Al Ahly.
Other results in the round
In other first qualifying matches, Algeria’s JS Saoura beat Guinea’s Horia 1-0 at home. Oussama Bentaleb scored the only goal shortly before halftime. Libya’s Asswehly, making its tournament debut, also claimed a 1-0 home win over Zanzibar’s KVZ, with Abdullah Al-Arfi scoring in the 66th minute.
