Confederation Cup: Egyptian clubs win away matches
- Published
The Confederation Cup trophy is Africa's second-tier continental club competition
Egyptian clubs Pyramids and Al Masry began their Confederation Cup Group A campaigns with wins away from home.
Pyramids made sure that Salisu Yusuf endured a tough start as coach of Nigerian club Enugu Rangers with a 3-1 win.
Enugu's cause not helped by the sending off of defender Temitope Olusesi before half-time as he was shown a second yellow card.
Nigeria assistant coach Yusuf was seconded to Enugu after Benedict Ugwu lost his job for winning just once in the first five rounds of the domestic league.
Ibrahim Olawoyin put Rangers ahead on 29 minutes, but they battled after the dismissal of Olusesi.
Mohamed Farouk equalised with a penalty nine minutes into the second half and Tunisian Amor Layouni and Islam Attia, from another spot-kick, scored in the closing stages for Pyramids.
French coach Sebastien Desabre says his targets are competing with Ahly and Zamalek for the league title and winning the second-tier Confederation Cup.
The other Group A match also delivered an Egyptian victory with Karim el Eraky scoring in stoppage time to snatch a 3-2 win for Al Masry over Nouadhibou of Mauritania in Nouakchott.
A thrilling tussle saw Nigerian Austin Amutu of Masry score the only goal of the first half, then equalise after Boubacar Bagili and Yassin el Welly netted for Nouadhibou.
Two-time African champions Enyimba conceded twice within 19 minutes of the kick-off to lose 2-0 away to Moroccan outfit Hassania Agadir in Group D.
Hassania's goal came from Karim el Berkaoui and Senegalese Malick Cisse while Enyimba substitute Martins Usule blazed over when given a second-half chance during.
Group D's other encounter ended goalless in Ivory Coast as San Pedro hosted Algeria's Paradou.
Meanwhile, a brilliant last-minute reflex save from Moussa Camara from a Gift Motupa volley gave Horoya of Guinea a 0-0 Group C draw with Bidvest Wits of South Africa in Soweto.
The other Group C encounter also ended deadlocked as Libya's Al Nasr and Djoliba from Mali drew 1-1. the match was played in Egypt due to the ongoing security issues in Benghazi.
In Kinshasa, Zanaco of Zambia did well to force a 1-1 draw against DC Motema Pembe of the DR Congo after having Kelvin Kapumbu red-carded on 66 minutes in the Group B.
Cameroonian Moussa Souleymanou gave the Lusaka club a 25th-minute lead that Nigerian Peter Kolawole cancelled with 12 minutes remaining.
Morocco's Renaissance Berkane eased to a 3-0 win over visiting ESAE of Benin in the other Group B encounter.
The top from each of the four groups will progress to next year's quarter-finals.
Group A:
Enugu Rangers (Nigeria) 1-3 Pyramids (Egypt)
Nouadhibou (Mauritania) 2-3 Al Masry (Egypt)
Group B:
Bidvest Wits (South Africa) 0-0 Horoya (Guinea)
Al Nasr (Libya) 1-1 Djoliba (Mali) Moved to Cairo from Benghazi for security reasons
Group C:
DC Motema Pembe (DR Congo) 1-1 Zanaco (Zambia)
Renaissance Berkane (Morocco) 3-0 ESAE (Benin)
Group D:
San Pedro (Ivory Coast) 0-0 Paradou (Algeria)
Hassania Agadir (Morocco) 2-0 Enyimba (Nigeria)