Beaten 2-0 in the first leg, MC Alger beat Enugu Rangers 3-0 at the Ali-Ammar stadium in Douéra and sealed their ticket to the CAF Champions League group stage. Zakaria Naidji led the Algiers attack.
Beaten 2-0 in Nigeria in the first leg, the Doyen fully made up the deficit in front of their own fans by winning 3-0 against Enugu Rangers on 23 October at the Ali-Ammar stadium in Douéra. A comeback that opens the doors of the CAF Champions League group stage to the Algiers side, the big objective of the season.
“Rangers Crash Out After 3-0 Defeat to MC Alger as the Algerian champions overturn the two-goal first leg deficit,” summarises Africa Top Sports, which reported on the match. The Nigerians leave the competition at the second preliminary round, with CAF no longer offering a reprieve in the Confederation Cup.
Naidji the leader
Zakaria Naidji led the Algiers attack, playing an active part in MCA’s offensive festival, according to Africa Top Sports.
Sofiane Bayazid and Ayoub Abdellaoui are also named among the MC Alger players, although the outlet does not detail their role in the match.
The Nigerian defence conceded twice from set pieces.
Beaumelle hails the pressing
Patrice Beaumelle, the MC Alger coach, praised his players’ impeccable state of mind and the high pressing applied from the opening minutes, according to Africa Top Sports.
The Douéra crowd also weighed in: CAF had eventually authorised the presence of spectators, which galvanised the Algiers players in their own stadium, Africa Top Sports recalls.
On the other side, Fidelis Ilechukwu, the Enugu Rangers coach, sees his team eliminated at the second preliminary round of Africa’s premier club competition.
The group stage and what comes next
By reaching the group stage, the Mouloudia pocket the financial payout guaranteed by CAF for every qualified club. The amount was not specified by the source.
MC Alger thus return to the group stage of Africa’s premier club competition, their big objective of the season.
In the league, the next round of Ligue 1 Mobilis awaits MC Alger.