Former African champions, Wydad AC finally got off the mark in the CAF Champions League Group stage campaign after securing a dramatic win over Simba AC on Saturday evening.After losing both their opening matches against Jwaneng Galaxy and Asec Mimosas, the Moroccan giants were desperate for a result against the East Africans who are yet to get a win in Group B.With the match destined for a goalless draw, Zakaria Draoui sent the home crowd into a frenzy with a goal in the dying minutes of the game to secure the confidence-boosting win for the former champions who remain in contention following the vital win.##NAJAVA_MECA_7735015##Interestingly, the two sides will meet again on Tuesday, 19 December when Simba plays host to the Moroccans in what promises to be another action-packed encounter between the two sides who are looking at catching up to their group leaders.The result sees them trade places with Simba who now are at the bottom of Group B, while Wydad go third behind Jwaneng Galaxy and table-toppers, Asec Mimosas.Meanwhile, in another fixture that took place in the northern part of the continent, ES Tunis were held to a goalless draw by Angola’s Petro de Luanda in a Group C match played in Tunis.GET INNN! ✅#DimaWydad pic.twitter.com/aaklGybmV1— Wydad Athletic Club (@WACofficiel) December 9, 2023 The result sees the Angolans retaining their top position in the group with 7 points, three ahead of ES Tunis who are on 4 points, while Al-Hilal and ES Sahel are tied on 3 points each.Petro will be looking at further extending their lead when they play host to ES Tunis in the next round of matches on 19 December, while Asec Mimosas welcome the giant slaying, Jwaneng Galaxy.Zamalek 1-0 Sagrada EsperenceA moment of brilliance from Ahmed ‘Zizo’ Sayed earned Zamalek a hard-fought 1-0 CAF Confederation Cup home win over Sagrada Espérance on Saturday to preserve their perfect group stage record.The Egyptians had dominated from the outset but found the Angolan defense in a stubborn mood until Zizo struck shortly before the break.The talented forward caught the visitors’ keeper off guard with a thunderous drive from range in the 42nd minute to break the deadlock.Star-studded list as CAF announces final list for 2023 awardsIt proved enough to clinch a third straight victory for Zamalek and strengthen their stranglehold on Group B.The win leaves the five-time African champions three points clear of second-placed Abu Salim ahead of their clash with whipping boys SOAR Guinea on Sunday.Zamalek once again lacked a clinical edge in the final third but a third clean sheet means they are well on course to reach the knockout phase.Defeat compounded a disappointing start for Sagrada as they remain stuck on three points from three matches.But Zamalek appears in pole position to progress after taking the next step towards the Confederation Cup quarter-finals in dogged fashion.##NAJAVA_MECA_7735023##ASEC Mimosas 2-0 Jwaneng Galaxy A Sankara Karamoko brace inspired ASEC Mimosas to a 2-0 CAF Champions League triumph away to Botswana’s Jwaneng Galaxy on Saturday.The prolific Ivorian striker struck in the second half to strengthen the visitors’ position at the Group B summit heading into the midway stage of the campaign.Karamoko opened the scoring on 57 minutes when he latched onto Mofosse Tresor’s pass to slot ASEC ahead.And the 20-year-old sealed victory late on with his second of the game courtesy of Serge Pokou’s unselfish assist.Below are the second-day results ⬇️ #TotalEnergiesCAFCL pic.twitter.com/dTbbk6UCpT— TotalEnergiesCAFCL & TotalEnergiesCAFCC 🏆 (@CAFCLCC) December 9, 2023 The result sends the resurgent Ivorians three points clear of Galaxy at the top of the table as they claimed a second win in three matches.Jwaneng had sat level on points with Saturday’s opponents before kick-off at the Obed Itani Chilume Stadium.But Karamoko’s clinical double secured a vital victory to catapult ASEC above their hosts.Botswana outfit Galaxy stays in second place in the group behind the high-flying Ivorians with Tanzanian side Simba in third place while Moroccan side Wydad Casablanca are bottom with no points.But with ASEC hitting top gear, a place in the quarter-finals now looks well within their grasp in this wide-open group.The job is not yet complete with three rounds of matches still to play for Julien Chevalier’s talented outfit.How Nairobi City Stars managed to shoot past high-flying Posta RangersYet on this evidence, few would bet against ASEC going all the way to clinch its first Champions League crown since 1998.Meanwhile, DR Congo giant TP Mazembe held Nouadhibou of Mauritania to a goalless in their Group A match on Saturday at Stade Cheikha Ould Boidiya in Nouakchott.The result means Mazembe move to the top of the group with four points ahead of Mamelodi Sundowns clash with Pyramids in the group’s other game to be played on Sunday.Source: CAF Online
