Al Ittihad stun Al Ahly in the African Champions League

Libyan champions Al Ittihad strolled to a confident 2-0 win over six-time African Champions Al Ahly in the first leg of their African Champions League third round tie on Friday.

• Younes Shibani and Ahmed Zuway struck in each half to give the Tripoli-based side the first-leg advantage over the Egyptians.
• The victory marked revenge for the Libyan champions, who were edged out by the Cairo giants at the semi-final stage in 2007.
• Zuway created the opener on 13 minutes when he flicked the ball into the path of central defender Shibani, who headed in to put the home side ahead.
• Zuway then wrapped up the victory on 73 minutes, with another header from a corner.
• Meanwhile, Esperance of Tunisia easily beat visiting Sudanese side Al Merreikh 3-0 in their tie on Friday.
• The hosts opened the scoring in the eighth minute when Nigerian striker Michael Enaramo headed home a free-kick.
• Aymen Ben Amor then scored with a spectacular volley from the edge of the area that flew into the top corner of the goal to double the lead for Esperance in the 22nd minute.
• Five minutes later Oussama Darragi sent the Merreikh goalkeeper the wrong way from the penalty spot to make it 3-0.
• Merreikh’s best chance in the first half was a long range effort that was well-saved by Esperance goalkeeper Wassim Naouara.
• The Sudanese side were unlucky not to pull back a goal in the second half when they hit the post twice in quick succession in the 66th minute.
• Big-spending TP Mazembe of the DR Congo continue the defence of their title with a first leg game away at Mail’s Djoliba, who have never progressed beyond the third round.
• The Malian side have scored just twice in four Champions League games this year and have conceded just one goal.

• Mazembe should prove too strong for Djoliba over the two legs, but the likely mid-year transfer of captain and consistent scorer Tresor Mputu Mabi to a European club may weaken their challenge.

• SuperSport United take on Nigerian visitors Heartland as they try to boost the image of South Africa in the African Champions League.
• Orlando Pirates are the only South African side to have won the continent’s top club competition and they made a shock first round exit this year.
• But SuperSport will have to do without goalkeeper Emile Baron, defenders Morgan Gould and David Kannemeyer and striker Glen Salmon through injury.
• They are also missing Bongani Khumalo, who is with the national squad on a pre-World Cup training camp in Germany.
• Early exits from the domestic League Cup and FA Cup competitions have not helped the club’s morale, nor have media reports linking their coach Gavin Hunt to big-spending Pretoria neighbours Mamelodi Sundowns.
• Hunt longs for African success after an unexpected second round loss to KCC of Uganda last year.
• Heartland, who are the sole Nigerian challengers after the surprise early elimination of Bayelsa United, suffered the heartbreak of losing the final last year to TP Mazembe on the away-goals rule in the DR Congo.
• Ismailia confront Al Hilal of Sudan in Omdurman.
• Both Algerian challengers are former title holders and they enjoy home advantage first with JS Kabylie meeting Petro Atletico of Angola while Entente Setif play Zanaco of Zambia.

• The other fixture this weekend sees 1998 runners-up Dynamos of Zimbabwe take on surprise package Gaborone United of Botswana in Harare.