Round Ups

Africa

The unpredictable African Champions League has reached its knockout stages, after an intriguing final round of group fixtures this weekend saw some of big favourites drop out of the tournament with plenty of surprising results.

Perhaps the biggest upset came in Lagos where Tripoli Rovers secured the 13-0 win they required to qualify for the Quarter Finals. The oil-rich Libyan Champions looked to be heading for an early exit as home favourites Sporting Chastity had the better of the chances in a goaless first half.

However, some below par goalkeeping from home keeper Cheeky Mbeeko led to six goals in seven second half minutes and Tony Gadaffi’s men never looked back, scoring the vital 13th goal in the 19th minute of injury time, and in doing so knocking Zimbabwean powerhouse Limpopopo Black Pride out of the tournament on goal difference. The Popo’ had reason to be particularly disappointed as their 11-0 win against Gambian league runners up Spirit Of Passion had led to wonderful scenes of celebration (and some minor looting) in the streets of Harare just 2 hours earlier.

The road to the quarter finals proved much easier for Italian side Parma however, who entered to competition for the first time due to an administrative error by UEFA. Parma breezed past Opportunity Zanzibar in Tanzania thanks to a Marco Bresciano hatrick, and this despite a 20 minute second half delay caused by a lion entering one of the stands. In the group’s other game N’Chbmkndy of Chad – the global game’s only top flight team with no vowels – played out a goalless draw against That’s Lusaka! in a match marred by home captain Marco Boogers’ double sending off.

A short ride via a badly-maintained dust road from Chad saw another controversial match between Sudanese pacemakers Dafur Askey and reigning champions 1890 Peace Be Upon Them Cairo, in the first African Champions League match ever to be played using a sponge ball. The ball caused havoc in both goal areas but it was the Egyptians who made the better use of it, as Brazilian substitute Haribo bagged a brace and legitimized Serbian coach Slobery Yakyak’s decision to recall the goalscorer to his side just days after an amputation scare. 1890 will qualify for the next stage at the expense of group leaders Banjul Kazooie, after the Gambian side were deducted six points for fielding a woman. Their final match away at last year’s losing finalists Castle Lager Pirates was abandoned due to the ongoing strike by wagon drivers in Western Africa.

Finally, history was made in Sierra Leone when local champions Freetown Town claimed their first ever point in a 3-3 draw against Humphrey Bogart’s entertaining Casablanca. The Moroccans tied for first place in the group but lost out on qualifying through the little known “economic development” rule which allowed Ugandan minnows Summer Kampala to sneak into the Quarter Final stages for the first time in their 14 month history. Kampala can look forward to their historic tie against the newly merged F.C. Blue & White Nile when the tournament kicks off again in five weeks time.

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