CAF Champions League

Caf CL Review: Simba learn Vita lesson as Sundowns find form

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CAF Champions League trophy

Vita Club, Mamelodi Sundowns and CS Constantine were among the winners in Saturday’s Caf Champions League action.

Vita sounded a major warning to the rest of the Caf Champions League with a crushing 5-0 victory over Simba in Kinshasa on Saturday.

Tanzanian club Simba eased past JS Saoura last week, but back in the competition for the first time since 2003, learned a harsh lesson on the road.

They were trailing 3-0 by half-time, and struggled to stem the damage after the interval with Makwekwe Kupa’s header and Jean-Marc Makusu’s second of the match rounding out Vita’s convincing first victory of the campaign.

The two sides now share a win apiece in Group D and are a point adrift of leaders Al Ahly.

Group A is even tighter after two match weeks, following Mamelodi Sundowns’ steadying 2-1 home win against Wydad Casablanca, the 2017 champions.

Themba Zwane was the hero for the home side, as his well-taken brace ensured Mohamed Nahiri’s first-half pile-driver proved nothing more than a consolation.

South Africa midfielder Zwane’s goals came either side of Nahiri’s blockbusting effort and left all four teams equal on three points.

Nigerian side Lobi Stars, the team that edged Sundowns 2-1 last time out, earlier slipped to a 1-0 loss away to ASEC Mimosas, the latter with Ahmed Herve Diamonde’s 38th-minute penalty to thank for securing three points.

CS Constantine are enjoying more serene progress in Group C, the Algerian side making it six points from a possible six with a routine 3-0 defeat of TP Mazembe.

Mihayo Kazembe’s men held their hosts scoreless during the first half, but Houcine Benayada broke the deadlock via a goalkeeping error soon after the interval, and Constantine were in control from there.

Nasreddine Zaalani and Sid Ali Lamri wrapped up a comfortable result that leaves Mazembe and second-placed Club Africain three points adrift of the table-toppers.