Mouloudia Alger beaten in Nigeria as Al Hilal win and Petro Atletico suffer defeat

Mouloudia Alger were beaten 2-0 by Nigerian side Rangers, while Al Hilal secured a first-leg victory in the second preliminary round of the CAF Champions League.

The winners of this stage will qualify for the group stage of the 2026-27 CAF Champions League.

Mouloudia were reduced to 10 men for most of the second half after Oussama Ben Hwi was shown a second yellow card in the 53rd minute. The dismissal left the Algerian side under pressure as Rangers looked to take control of the tie.

The Nigerian team eventually made their numerical advantage count, scoring twice in the closing stages. Rangers broke the deadlock in the 81st minute and added a second goal four minutes later to secure a valuable advantage before the return match in Algeria.

In another first-leg tie, Zimbabwean club Scottland marked their debut in the CAF Champions League with a 2-0 home win over Angolan side Petro Atletico.

Khama Billiat opened the scoring in the second half before Knowledge Musona added a second goal to put Scottland within reach of a place in the group stage for the first time.

Scottland won the Zimbabwean league title last season for the first time in the club’s history. The champions signed both Billiat and Musona, making the pair the highest-paid players in the league.

Al Hilal also took a 2-0 lead against Ethiopian club Sidama Buna. The Sudanese side went ahead in the 11th minute through an own goal, before Mohamed Abdelrahman sealed the victory with a second in the 90th minute.

The return leg between Al Hilal and Sidama Buna will be played next week at Amahoro Stadium in Kigali, the Ugandan capital.