AFRICAN SPORTS MONTHLY
'Sports is our Business'
  • Home
  • NEWS
  • Radio
  • TV

Setif beaten at home, Merreikh top group

6/29/2015

0 Comments

 
Picture
A poor CAF Champions League group stage home record returned to haunt title-holders Entente Setif this weekend when they lost 2-1 against fellow Algerians USM Alger.

Setif were favoured to win the Group B matchday one clash on the strength of having won the premier African club competition a second time last year. But USM, back in the mini-league phase after 11 years, must have sensed they had a chance given the continuous failures of Setif to exploit home advantage.

The 'Black Eagles' lifted the trophy last season despite drawing all three home group games, and a previous appearance in 2010 yielded only one win, a draw and a defeat. Setif did look the likelier scorers at Stade du 8 Mai until USM snatched two goals within 13 minutes during the second half.


Mohamed Seguer broke the deadlock on the hour in eastern Algeria by heading in a Zineddine Ferhat cross. Captain Nassereddine Khoualed doubled the lead by finishing off a free-kick.

Setif coach Kheireddine Madoui, who guided the club to African glory last year, reacted by introducing El-Hedi Belameiri and Ilyes Korbiaa. The double substitution worked with Setif laying siege to the USM goalmouth and Korbiaa halved the deficit six minutes from time. But 2003 Champions League semi-finalists USM survived the onslaught and host El-Merreikh of Sudan in a top-of-the-table July 10 fixture.

Striker Bakri Al-Madina starred as Merreikh triumphed 2-0 against Algerian visitors Mouloudia El-Eulma in Omdurman, across the Nile river from Khartoum.

Adel Naamane diverted a seemingly harmless Al-Madina cross past goalkeeper Mohamed Ousserir and into his own net after just six minutes. The early goal set the tone for the first half with the hosts executing the pre-match rallying cry of Franco-Italian coach Diego Garzitto to "attack, attack, attack".

Ghanaian Francis Coffie and Nigerian Solomon Jabason were among the Merreikh attackers who came close to increasing the lead. Al-Madina was guilty of wasting chances, but atoned 11 minutes into the second half by scoring from close range after Coffie set him up.

A serious situation for Eulma worsened just past the hour when Naamane was sent off for a foul on Al-Madina. Eulma, hoping to become only the second lower-division club after Setif in 1988 to win the Champions League, were denied a late goal when goalkeeper Salim Omar foiled Walid Derrardja.

Another Sudanese club, El-Hilal, are away to four-time champions TP Mazembe in the Democratic Republic of Congo on Sunday when Group A kicks off. The final matchday one fixture has Smouha of Egypt hosting Moghreb Tetouan of Morocco in Mediterranean city Alexandria.

By: FIFA.com
0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    Archives

    March 2023
    February 2023
    January 2023
    December 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    September 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    June 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    December 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013

    Menu

    All
    2014 FIFA World Cup
    Athletics
    Basketball
    Boxing
    Commonwealth Games
    Cricket
    Golf
    Hockey
    Marathons
    News
    Olympics
    Rugby
    Soccer
    Spotlight
    Tennis
    Track And Field
    Volleyball
    Women Soccer
    Wrestling


    Picture

    RSS Feed


    Tweets by ASMONTHLY

Tweet to @ASMONTHLY

Contact Us

    Contact Us

Submit

Donate & Support Our Efforts at African Sports Media Network