MC Alger turned up the heat in CAF Champions League Group C with a hard-fought 2-1 home victory over Al Hilal Omdurman at Stade Ali-la-Pointe.
The hosts flew out of the blocks and were ahead on 15 minutes, when Moslem Anatouf coolly finished after a smart assist from Zinedine Ferhat. Just before the break, Ferhat turned scorer himself, sweeping home MC Alger’s second from a Chahreddine Boukholda pass to give the Algerian side a commanding 2-0 half time lead.
Al Hilal responded after the interval with a flurry of substitutions and eventually found a way back when Ahmed M’Bracek pulled one back in the 78th minute, finishing a move created by Mamudu Kamaradin to set up a tense finale.
MC Alger, however, managed the closing stages well, limiting clear chances and seeing out the win despite Al Hilal enjoying more possession and matching them for total shots.
The result leaves MC Alger in second place in Group C ahead of a decisive trip to face Mamelodi Sundowns on Friday, 13 February, while Al Hilal will look to revive their qualification hopes at home to Saint-Eloi Lupopo on the same day.
