JOHANNESBURG: Ivory Coast club ASEC Mimosas transformed from African Champions League strugglers to likely semi-finalists Sunday thanks to a 3-0 triumph over Zamalek of Egypt in Abidjan.
The victory lifted the 1998 champions to five points in Group A and second place, one point ahead of Zamalek and two in front of Dynamos of Zimbabwe, 1-0 losers at home to runaway leaders Al-Ahly of Egypt Saturday.
If ASEC use home advantage to overcome Dynamos on Sept. 13 and Zamalek fail to defeat bitter Cairo rivals Ahly the following day, the Ivorians will be through to the penultimate phase.
Moussa Guindo edged ASEC in front midway through the opening half and Sinaly Bamba and Antoine N Gossan struck within five minutes after half-time to clinch success for a youthful team coached by Frenchman Patrick Liewig.
After forcing a goalless draw with Zamalek in Cairo two weeks ago despite playing more than half the encounter a man short, ASEC were favored to exploit home advantage and collect maximum points.
But the margin of victory was unexpected as the White Knights of Cairo once again came unstuck in the Ivorian commercial capital having fallen 2-0 against Africa Sports last April in a qualifier.
Egyptian goalkeeper Mohamed Abdel-Monsef shoulders the blame for the opening goal on 24 minutes as he allowed a Guindo cross to fly over him and land in the net.
Zamalek, who share the record of five African Champions League titles with Ahly, came close to equalizing early in the second half as a shot from Ghana striker Junior Agogo rebounded off a post.
Most goalmouth action was at the other end of the field, however, and substitute N Gossan waltzed past Egyptian international defender Mahmoud Fathallah before setting up Bamba to score from close range on 68 minutes.
Any hope of a Zamalek comeback was shattered when Abdel-Monsef committed a foul and the penalty was easily converted by N Gossan, one of three ASEC players returning to African duty after 2008 Beijing Olympic Games call-ups.
As if that was not sufficient misery for the Egyptians, Fathallah and midfielder-cum-captain Ayman Abdel-Aziz received cautions that rule them out of the Sept. 14 Cairo derby against Ahly.
Mohamed Barakat scored after 10 minutes to give impressive Ahly victory over Dynamos in Harare and the visitors had the ball in the net twice more only for efforts from Mohamed Abou-Trika and Gilberto to be mysteriously disallowed.
Baba Ousmaila scored after 62 minutes Saturday to give surprise packets Cotonsport Garoua of Cameroon a 1-0 home victory over 2007 semi-finalists Al-Hilal of Sudan and top spot in Group B with seven points.
Enyimba of Nigeria remain second, one point adrift, despite a humiliating 3-0 loss Sunday away to Tout Puissant Mazembe of the Democratic Republic of Congo in a showdown between two-time champions.
Captain Mputu Mabi created the 19th-minute opening goal for Mvete Luyeye and converted a penalty midway through the second half before substitute Kabangu Mulota poured salt into gaping Nigerian wounds with a late third.
Apart from a $1 million first prize, the winners of the African Champions League qualify for the annual year-end FIFA Club World Cup in Japan. -AFP
