Coton Sport and Al Ahly Lead After Third Day of CAF Confederation Cup Group Stage
At the close of the third day of the CAF Confederation Cup group stage, Coton Sport and Al Ahly sit atop their respective groups following a weekend of closely contested matches.
In Group A, Cameroonian side Coton Sport secured their second consecutive victory with a thrilling 3-2 win over Ivorian giants ASEC Mimosas. The game featured goals from Daouda Kamilou, who struck twice including a late winner, and Nicaise Zimbori, who converted a penalty. Despite spirited efforts from ASEC’s Hugues Evrard Zagbayou and Ibrahima Fofana, the visitors held on to maintain their perfect start to the competition.
Elsewhere in Group A, AC Leopards edged Real Bamako 2-1 thanks to goals from Césaire Gandzé and Kader Bidimbou, overcoming Ali Badra Sylla’s strike for the Malian side. With these results, Coton Sport leads the group with six points, followed by AC Leopards on four, ASEC Mimosas on two, and Real Bamako bottom with one.
Meanwhile, in Group B, Egyptian powerhouse Al Ahly were held to a 1-1 draw by hosts Séwé Sport in a tense encounter in Abidjan. Séwé’s Kouamé Akrofi Edem scored in the 78th minute to cancel out Moussa Yedan’s first-half strike for the visitors. The draw denied Al Ahly a crucial three points but left them well placed in the group standings.
The other match in Group B saw Tunisia’s Etoile du Sahel edge past Zambian side Nkana in a seven-goal thriller, 4-3. Etoile du Sahel were propelled by Baghdad Bounedjah’s penalty and a brace from Alkhaly Bangoura, complemented by a late goal from Lassad Jaziri. Nkana fought valiantly, with an own goal from Ghazi Abderrazak providing an early advantage, while Evans Kangwa and Derrick Mwansa also found the net, including a late penalty.
Following the weekend’s matches, Group B sees Al Ahly and Etoile du Sahel sharing the lead with five points each, while Séwé Sport holds third place on three points, and Nkana sits at the bottom with one.
The competition intensifies as teams now look ahead to the next fixtures with the stakes rising for qualification into the knockout stages.
