MC Alger went down 2-0 at Enugu Rangers in the first leg of the CAF Champions League second preliminary round, Uwana and Temitope scoring late on. The return leg will be played on 23 October in Douéra.
MC Alger came home from Nigeria empty-handed. According to Compétition.dz, the Algiers club lost 2-0 at Enugu Rangers in the first leg of the CAF Champions League second preliminary round, in a match marked by a Nigerian player’s sending-off as early as the 13th minute.
Khaled Ben Yahia’s men, the Mouloudia coach, failed to make their early numerical advantage count. Above all they faltered in the closing minutes, conceding two goals in four minutes (83rd and 87th). The return leg, scheduled for Friday 23 October 2026 at the Ali-Ammar stadium in Douéra, Algiers, promises to be decisive.
An advantage not converted
The match had nevertheless started well for the Algiers side. As early as the 13th minute, Enugu Rangers were down to ten men after the straight red card shown to Jimoh, Compétition.dz reports. The MCA then had a numerical advantage until the 53rd minute.
But the first half ended goalless, 0-0. In the 53rd minute, Algerian midfielder Mohamed Benhaoua was sent off in turn, restoring numerical equality at ten against ten.
Uwana and Temitope make the difference
In the 83rd minute, Enugu Rangers broke the deadlock through a penalty converted by Uwana. Four minutes later, in the 87th, striker Temitope scored the second to make it 2-0. The Algiers side, still at ten against ten, thus conceded two goals in four minutes.
The match took place at the MKO Abiola stadium in Abeokuta, Nigeria, with kick-off at 14:00 local time, according to Foot Afrique and Compétition.dz.
Absences and a run to keep going
MC Alger travelled to Nigeria without their captain and central defender Ayoub Abdellaoui, who had a strain in his right thigh, according to Compétition.dz. Defensive midfielder Mohamed Benkhemassa was also unavailable and ruled out for the trip.
In the previous round, the MCA had comfortably eliminated ASN Nigelec (0-0 in the first leg, 5-0 in the return), Afrik-Foot recalls. Enugu Rangers, for their part, had qualified with difficulty in the first preliminary round, on penalties against Benin’s Sobemap, after two 1-1 draws.
The return leg will be played on Friday 23 October 2026 at the Ali-Ammar stadium in Douéra, Algiers, according to Compétition.dz. The Mouloudia will have to overturn a two-goal deficit to continue their CAF Champions League run.