On Saturday, the first day of the CAF Champions League group stage saw five exciting matches.
In Morocco, Raja Casablanca hosted Espérance de Tunis. The Tunisian side, also known as the Blood and Gold, made a strong statement early in the match. Anice Badri opened the scoring in the 8th minute, and just five minutes later, Ivorian striker Ibrahima Ouattara doubled the lead. These two quick goals proved decisive as Espérance de Tunis secured the victory on Raja’s home turf.
Meanwhile, TP Mazembe dominated Zamalek in Lubumbashi, winning 3-0 thanks to an attacking masterclass from their forwards, including Jackson Muleka. Similarly, Mamelodi Sundowns impressed against Petro de Luanda, also claiming a 3-0 victory, establishing themselves as early favorites in Group A.
Elsewhere, Primeiro de Agosto and Zesco United shared the spoils in a 1-1 draw, a result mirrored by USM Alger and Wydad Casablanca, who also ended their match 1-1.
These results have already begun to shape the group standings, with Espérance de Tunis, TP Mazembe, and Mamelodi Sundowns starting their campaigns with strong performances, while teams like Raja Casablanca, Zesco United, and Wydad Casablanca will need to regroup ahead of the next round.
