Cape Town - Morocco’s Raja Club Athletic remained the only team with a 100% record after round three of group matches in the TotalEnergies CAF Champions League.
Raja have three back-to-back victories, their latest 1-0 result at home against Horoya taking them to nine points.
A total of 14 goals were scored across eight matches, with only one game, the Esperance versus Etoile du Sahel fixture failing to provide a goal.
Meanwhile, only Raja and Mamelodi Sundowns are yet to concede a goal after three rounds of group stage matches.
A summary of last weekend's day three matches:
Group A
South African giants Mamelodi Sundowns picked perhaps what was the biggest result of not only Group A but the entire round of matches this weekend when they stunned defending champions Al Ahly 1-0 in Cairo.
This was the first time that the 2016 champions defeated Ahly in Cairo and also the first time they scored a goal against The Red Devils in their backyard.
The win saw Downs move to seven points and top of the standings while Ahly, who have played two matches only, are third with a point.
Meanwhile, Al Merrikh earned bragging rights from the Sudanese derby after beating arch-rivals Al Hilal 2-1 in Cairo to go to four points and stay second in the standings.
Results:
Al Merrikh 2-1 Al Hilal
Al Ahly 0-1 Mamelodi Sundowns
Upcoming fixtures:
Al Ahly v Al Merrikh
Al Hilal v Al Merrikh
Mamelodi Sundowns v Al Ahly
Group B:
Raja sit pretty on top of the standings with nine points and look well on course to charging into the quarter-finals. They have picked identical 1-0 results in all their three matches and despite slim margins, they have had the job done.
South African debutants AmaZulu have been the group’s surprise package. They started the group phase with a slim 1-0 loss away to Raja, but since then, back to back wins over Horoya and Es Setif, both by 1-0 margins at home, have lifted them to second and six points.
Setif sit third after losing back to back matches with Horoya, who have lost all their three games tailing the group. The Guinean side is also the only team in the group phase yet to score a goal.
Results:
Raja Club Athletic 1-0 Horoya
AmaZulu 1-0 ES Setif
Upcoming fixtures:
ES Setif v AmaZulu
Horoya v Raja Club Athletic
Group C
This looks like one of the toughest groups in this season’s Champions League. Esperance du Tunis, who sit top, and CR Belouizdad of Algeria, have earned identical results each with a win and two draws to go five points after the first three rounds.
Etoile du Sahel and debutants Jwaneng Galaxy are both winless after the first three rounds with Etoile drawing all their matches while Galaxy have drawn one and lost two.
Results:
Esperance 0-0 Etoile du Sahel
Jwaneng Galxy 1-2 CR Belouizdad
Upcoming fixtures:
CR Belouizdad v Jwaneng Galaxy
Etoile du Sahel v Esperance
Group D:
With two wins and a draw, Angola’s Petro de Luanda sit pretty on top after round three matches. Petro earned bragging rights from the Angolan derby on matchday three, beating local rivals Sagrada Esperanca 2-1 to move top with seven points.
Sagrada have so far managed only one point and their chances of making the last eight look tougher by the day.
But, the group’s biggest strugglers have been Egyptian giants Zamalek SC who are yet to win after three matches, picking two draws before losing against Wydad Club Athletic last weekend.
Zamalek came from 2-0 down to manage a late 2-2 draw with Petro before playing to a goalless draw with Sagrada.
Meanwhile, Wydad are second with six points. Their only defeat was a shock 2-1 loss to Petro.
Results:
Wydad Club Athletic 2-1 Zamalek
Sagrada Esperanca 0-1 Petro de Luanda
Upcoming fixtures
Zamalek v Wydad Club Athletic
Petro de Luanda v Sagrada Esperanca
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