A memorable Lema Mabidi goal salvaged a 2-2 home draw for Congo DR's AS Vita Club against Algerians ES Setif on Sunday in the CAF Champions League final first leg. Mabidi pounced on a loose ball outside the box, drifted past an opponent and unleashed an unstoppable shot that flew over goalkeeper Abderwahab Khedairia into the net.
The equaliser brought a capacity 35,000 Stade Tata Raphael crowd in Kinshasa to its feet after they had been stunned into silence when Setif regained the lead at a ground where Muhammad Ali fought 40 years ago. Ali defeated George Foreman in an iconic 1974 world heavyweight title fight known as the "Rumble in the Jungle".
AS Vita Club coach Florent Ibenge had given his team a pre-match warning about the counter-attacking menace of the north Africans. And his worst fears were realised on 57 minutes when Akram Djahnit combined with Abdelmalik Ziaya before rounding goalkeeper Nelson Lukong and tapping the ball into the net.
The equaliser brought a capacity 35,000 Stade Tata Raphael crowd in Kinshasa to its feet after they had been stunned into silence when Setif regained the lead at a ground where Muhammad Ali fought 40 years ago. Ali defeated George Foreman in an iconic 1974 world heavyweight title fight known as the "Rumble in the Jungle".
AS Vita Club coach Florent Ibenge had given his team a pre-match warning about the counter-attacking menace of the north Africans. And his worst fears were realised on 57 minutes when Akram Djahnit combined with Abdelmalik Ziaya before rounding goalkeeper Nelson Lukong and tapping the ball into the net.
Setif entered the first leg of a decider offering $1.5m to the winners with a proud record of having scored in five of six previous away Champions League matches this season. It took them just 17 minutes to maintain that streak, with the likely scorer being leading AS Vita Club marksman Ndombe Mubele. Joint leading scorer in the competition this season with six goals, Mubele saw a flick into the Congolese goalmouth off a corner strike him on the thigh and the ball looped into the net.
Setif came agonisingly close to doubling the lead four minutes from half-time when a sizzling Ziaya shot was pushed on to the crossbar by Lukong. AS Vita Club levelled three minutes into first-half stoppage time as Mohamed Lagraa handled and Mabidi just beat Khedairia as the goalkeeper dived to his right.
A strong start to the second half by the home side saw Khedairia tip a Mubele shot on to the crossbar. The clubs, who have each won the competition once before, meet again on 1 November in Blida with a place at the 2014 FIFA Club World Cup in Morocco also at stake.
Setif came agonisingly close to doubling the lead four minutes from half-time when a sizzling Ziaya shot was pushed on to the crossbar by Lukong. AS Vita Club levelled three minutes into first-half stoppage time as Mohamed Lagraa handled and Mabidi just beat Khedairia as the goalkeeper dived to his right.
A strong start to the second half by the home side saw Khedairia tip a Mubele shot on to the crossbar. The clubs, who have each won the competition once before, meet again on 1 November in Blida with a place at the 2014 FIFA Club World Cup in Morocco also at stake.
By: FIFA.com
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