African heavyweights Mazembe facing CAF Cup humiliation
Twice former
winners TP Mazembe of the Democratic Republic of Congo are facing elimination
from the CAF Confederation Cup after a 1-0 loss to US Monastir in Tunisia on
Wednesday.
The defeat,
inflicted by a third-minute goal from Boubacar Traore, left the winners of 11
CAF titles third in Group D, four points behind second-placed Young Africans of
Tanzania.
If Young
Africans defeat already-qualified Monastir on March 19, Mazembe will suffer the
humiliation of failing to make the knockout phase in the African equivalent of
the Europa League.
Mazembe last
exited at the group stage in 2007. Subsequently, they won the competition twice
in a row and were runners-up and semi-finalists in other appearances.
The matchday
four loss to Monastir was the third in a row for the Ravens after opening the
group campaign with a convincing home victory over Real Bamako of Mali.
Mazembe
began the 2022-2023 African season in the elite CAF Champions League only to
lose on penalties against Vipers of Uganda in a qualifier and be demoted to the
Confederation Cup.
The shock
defeat to Vipers cost French coach Franck Dumas his job with former Mazembe
captain Pamphile Kazembe taking charge.
But Kazembe
has been unable to halt the slide with the win over Bamako followed by a loss
to Young Africans and two defeats by inexperienced African campaigners
Monastir.
Between 1967
and 2017, Mazembe won 11 CAF titles, an achievement matched by Zamalek and
bettered only by another Egyptian club, Al Ahly, with 23.
Young
Africans missed a penalty at home to Bamako, but cruised to a 2-0 victory
through goals from Fiston Mayele and Jesus Moloko.
Mazembe are
one of three former African champions hoping to succeed Renaissance Berkane of
Morocco as winners of the Confederation Cup, and the other two had mixed
fortunes.
ASEC Mimosas
of the Ivory Coast completed a double over Diables Noirs of Congo by winning
1-0 in Brazzaville thanks to a Aubin Kramo goal.
Victory
lifted the Abidjan outfit, whose lone Champions League success came in 1998, to
the top of Group B, one point above Rivers United of Nigeria.
But Rivers
will regain first place if they at least draw against visiting DC Motema Pembe
on Thursday in a fixture delayed 24 hours because the Congolese experienced
travel problems.
FAR Rabat of
Morocco, the 1985 African champions, surrendered a nine-match unbeaten record
spanning qualifying and Group C matches when they fell 2-0 to Future of Egypt
in Cairo.
Another
Egyptian club, Pyramids, took advantage of the FAR defeat to go top after
hammering ASKO Kara of Togo 4-1 in Lome, where Mostafa Fahmy bagged a brace.
Marumo
Gallants of South Africa replaced USM Alger of Algeria as Group A leaders
through a 2-0 win in Soweto courtesy of goals from Lesiba Nku and Letsie
Koapeng.
Gallants lie
bottom of the domestic league having won only three of 22 matches, but in
Africa they have triumphed six times in eight outings.
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