In a weekend full of dramatic football action, both the CAF Champions League and CAF Cup witnessed stunning moments, with USM Alger denying ASEC Mimosas revenge and Espérance de Tunis succumbing to a last-minute loss in a thrilling Champions League clash.
ASEC Mimosas, seeking to make amends for a 3-0 loss in Algeria just three weeks ago, seemed to be on track for a much-needed victory in the CAF Cup.
The Ivorian side took the lead in the 31st minute, thanks to a well-taken goal from Salifou Diarrassouba.
The crowd at the Stade Félix Houphouët-Boigny in Abidjan was buoyed by the prospect of a revenge win.
However, USM Alger had other plans, and after a determined performance, they leveled the score through Mohamed Said Benmazouz, who came off the bench to find the equalizer in the 71st minute.
Despite their best efforts, ASEC Mimosas could not reclaim their advantage, and the match ended 1-1.
The result meant USM Alger retained their top position in Group C, with a three-point cushion over ASEC, who are stuck on 5 points.
Meanwhile, in the Champions League, Espérance de Tunis was left to rue a dramatic turn of events against Pyramids FC.
The Tunisian side, which had taken the lead in the 56th minute courtesy of Youcef Belaïli, appeared to be on the brink of securing a valuable win that would guarantee their spot in the quarter-finals.
However, Pyramids mounted a dramatic comeback in the final minutes.
Mostafa Fathi equalized in the 90th minute, and just three minutes later, Ibrahim Adel delivered a spectacular acrobatic overhead kick to secure all three points for Pyramids, who clinched a 2-1 victory.
This remarkable turnaround lifted Pyramids to the top of Group D, sharing 7 points with Espérance de Tunis, who were left stunned by the late drama.
Elsewhere, Group C saw Jaraaf and Orapa United play out a goalless draw in Dakar, while in Group B, New Zealand’s Andre de Jong was the hero for Stellenbosch, scoring twice to help his team secure a 2-0 win over Lunda Sul.
6 out of the 8 games in the #TotalEnergiesCAFCC Matchday 4 are now through as the final whistle blows! 🙌 pic.twitter.com/8NbIxBDpxz
— TotalEnergies CAFCL & CAFCC 🏆 (@CAFCLCC) January 5, 2025
The result saw Stellenbosch leapfrog Stade Malien into second place in the group.
In other Champions League action, Enyimba triumphed 4-1 over Black Bulls in Uyo, although they remain at the bottom of Group D due to an unfavorable goal difference.
Zamalek, held to a 0-0 draw against Al-Masry, kept their place at the top of the group and moved closer to securing qualification for the quarter-finals.
In another Group D encounter, Sagrada Esperança narrowly defeated Djoliba AC 1-0, with the Malians still languishing at the bottom of the standings.
