AFCON 2025
The first preliminary round of the CAF Champions League yesterday produced a mix of emphatic wins and tightly balanced encounters.
Esperance of Tunisia made a strong statement with a 3–0 away victory over AS FAN of Niger. Kamel Boualia opened the scoring as early as the fifth minute before Aboubacar Diakité struck twice in the second half to seal a dominant performance that leaves Esperance with a comfortable cushion ahead of the return leg.
Fellow Tunisian side Monastir also impressed, sweeping aside Sierra Leone’s East End Lions 4–0. After breaking the deadlock just before half-time, Monastir controlled the game and added three more goals in the second half to put the tie effectively beyond reach.
In Nigeria, Remo Stars produced a commanding 4–0 home win against Comoros’ US Zilimadjou. Lamine Ndenge set the tone early, Ebuka Anthony doubled the advantage before the interval, and second-half goals from Adams Goïta and Seun Olasupo completed the rout.
The result leaves the Nigerian club in pole position to qualify. Elsewhere, several fixtures ended in cagey draws, with little to separate the sides. These ties remain delicately poised and will be decided in the return legs.
Overall, Esperance, Monastir and Remo Stars have all but booked their places in the next round with commanding first-leg wins, while the rest of the field faces finely balanced contests where the second legs will prove decisive.
Full Results:
Remo Stars (Nigeria) 4–0 US Zilimadjou (Comoros)
East End Lions (Sierra Leone) 0–4 US Monastir (Tunisia)
AS FAN (Niger) 0–3 Espérance de Tunis (Tunisia)
Kara (Togo) 1–1 RS Berkane (Morocco)
Real de Banjul (Gambia) 0–0 AS FAR Rabat (Morocco)
Tempête Mocaf (Central African Republic) 0–5 Stade Malien (Mali)
Elgeco Plus (Madagascar) 1–1 Silver Strikers (Malawi)
Fundación Bata (Equatorial Guinea) 0–0 FC Nouadhibou (Mauritania)
Colombe Sportive (Cameroon) 0–0 ASC Jaraaf (Senegal)
Aigle Noir (Burundi) 0–0 ASAS Djibouti Télécom (Djibouti)
