Al Hilal, Mangasport make strong starts in CAF Champions League
Sudanese giants, Al Hilal Omdurman, and Gabon’s Mangasport were among the biggest winners as the TotalEnergies CAF Champions League 2026/27 First Preliminary Round continued across the continent on Saturday, while several other ties remain delicately poised ahead of next weekend’s return legs.
Al Hilal put themselves in a strong position with a 2-0 away victory over Burundi’s Aigle Noir and will be confident of completing the job when they host the return fixture next weekend.
Gabon champions, Mangasport, also took a significant step towards the next round with a 3-1 home victory over Namibia’s African Stars, giving them a useful cushion to take into the second leg.
Club Africain from Tunisia will take a narrow 1-0 lead to Mali for the second leg of their clash with Djoliba.
CFFA of Madagascar will travel to Lesotho with a similar advantage after defeating Lijabatho 2-0, while South Sudan’s El Merriekh Bentiu edged Somalia’s Heegan 1-0 in another home victory.
Senegal’s Teungueth were one of the sides to earn an important victory on the road as they defeated FC Canchungo of Guinea-Bissau 1-0, leaving them well placed ahead of the return leg on home soil.
There was less to separate Vipers and FC Nouadhibou in Uganda, where the sides shared a 1-1 draw, meaning there is everything to play for when they meet again in Mauritania.
It was also 1-1 between Côte d’Ivoire’s FC San Pedro and Nigerian visitors Rivers United, with the latter now having home advantage for the return fixture.
Sudan’s Al Merreikh claimed a narrow 1-0 victory over Zambia’s Power Dynamos but will have work to do when they travel for the second leg.
Gaborone United also came close to a notable home victory over Tanzanian heavyweights Young Africans, but the sides eventually shared a 1-1 draw to leave the tie finely balanced ahead of the return match in Dar es Salaam.
There were goalless draws between Chad’s Aiglons and Ethiopia’s Sidaama Buna, and Sierra Leone’s Star Sport Academy and Medina United of The Gambia, leaving those contests wide open.
The First Preliminary Round return legs will be played from September 11-13, with the winners advancing to the Second Preliminary Round as the battle for places in the group stage gathers pace.
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