Friday results: Al Ahly 0-0 Esperance; Township Rollers 1-0 KCCA
A first half Lemponye Tshireletso goal gave Township Rollers a 1-0 win over Uganda champions KCCA FC in their CAF Champions League debut at the National Stadium on Friday night.
With North African super clubs Al Ahly of Egypt and Esperance of Tunisia playing to a goalless draw in Cairo, Rollers top Group A with three points.
The hosts created numerous chances in the first half, converting only the Tshireletso decider, and saw out a balanced second half to emerge victorious.
Tshireletso timed his run perfectly on to a veteran Joel Mogorosi pass and rounded goalkeeper Tom Ikara to score Rollers’ winner on 36 minutes.
Mogorosi wasted a good chance to double the lead almost immediately after the deadlock was broken when he fired wide from inside the six-yard box.
A couple of stoppage-time saves from Rollers goalkeeper Keagile Kgosipula prevented the Ugandan outfit levelling in a clash of group phase debutants.
Rollers shocked Al Merrikh of Sudan and Yanga of Tanzania to become the first Botswana club to reach the last 16.
Former KCCA star Ivan Ntege said after the match that it was an emotional occasion facing his former side.
“I played for KCCA for a long time and people back home in Uganda were watching so it was good to be in the side. I believe we can progress to the quarterfinals. We had a good game plan and deserved the win. We can build on the good start we made, even Al Ahly and Esperance should not intimidate us,” Ntege said.
KCCA will host AlAhly at Namboole in their next match on May 15th while Township Rollers will be away to Tunisia’s Esperance.
