DR Congo side defeat Al Ahly
DR Congo giants AS Vita left it late with Tuisila Kisinda scoring six minutes from time to hand them a crucial victory at the expense of Al Ahly of Egypt on Saturday in Kinshasa.
Kisinda decided the tie with his late strike to take Group D’s quarter final battle to the wire. Ahly and Vita are tied on seven points. Simba has six and JS Saoura of Algeria has five points.
An encounter which saw both goalkeepers’, AS Vita’s Nelson Lukong and Mohamed Elshenawy on the part of Ahly, unarguably the best players for their sides, it was the homers who had the last laugh with a result that boosted their chances as far as a place at the last eight is concerned.
A balanced first half saw Lukong deny the visitors a couple of occasions proving his status as one of the best performers for ‘Les Dauphins Noirs’ the past five seasons at the continental level.
Ahly were let off the hook after a Makusu Mundele header from a goalmouth action bounced off the upright to end the first half barren.
The eight-time winners resumed stronger and nearly broke the deadlock in the opening minutes, but Lukong was to his side’s rescue yet again. The Cameroonian goalie made three saves within a spate of seconds. The 38-year old first spilled a grounder by Maher Nasser, which fell to Marwan Mohsen, whose cross met the head of Junior Ajayi but Lukong’s agility denied him the opener, before the latter denied Karim Nedved from the rebound.
The homers came into the picture and Shenawy was it his best on 70 minutes stopping a point blank shot from Ngonda Muzinga off a Kisinda back-heel.
The decisive moment came six minutes from time, when Kisinda scored the only goal with an effort that appeared to have deflected of an Ahly defender to secure them the vital three points.
Saoura host Simba in the other Group D match in Bechar.
Elsewhere in Abidjan, Ivorian champions ASEC Mimosas beat Wydad Athletic Club of Morocco 2-0 in their Group A clash. Burkinabe-import Amed Toure scored twice in the secon half to settle matters. – cafonline
