Defending champions USM Alger overcome United, Abu Salem edge Esperanca
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TotalEnergies CAF Confederation Cup group stage action resumed on Sunday, 03 December with defending champions, USM Alger kicking things off with a vital win away from home.
The defending champions from Algeria travelled to the opposite end of the continent to meet South Africa’s SuperSport United in the blistering heat of Polokwane.
United, who had lost to Egypt’s Modern Future last weekend were desperate for a win to revive their tournament hosts but were met with an even tougher opponent in USM Alger who put two behind them courtesy of Saadi Radouani in the 5th minute as well as a 56th minute strike by Brahim Benzaza to see the defending champions remain top of Group A.
United remain rooted at the bottom and will need nothing less than a victory when facing Al Hilal Benghazi in Libya next Sunday.
Meanwhile in Algeria, Abu Salem had to dig deep to find the winner in the dying minutes of the match when they faced Angola’s Sagrada Esperanca in a simultaneous fixture in Annaba.
It had to take 88 minutes for Abdulmunem Aleiyan to find the all-important winner for the hosts who needed the victory following last weekend’s disappointment in Egypt where they were edged by Zamalek by the same scoreline.
The result temporarily takes the Libyans out of the danger zone, but they will keep a keen eye on Sunday evening’s match between Zamalek and CO Coyah taking place in Guinea.
