Esperance . . . . . .(0) 1
Dynamos . . . . . . . 0

A late penalty in the 84th minute awarded to Tunisia’s Esperance denied Dynamos an opportunity to grab a point in Group A of the African Champions League competition at Stade de Rabes last night.

Esperance supporters, who packed the stadium to the rafters clad in the team’s colourful regalia rooted behind the home team but the visitors were not intimidated.

It was until the 84th minute, when Esperance were awarded a penalty by Togo referee Djaoupe Kokou.
Following a foul on Khaled Ayari by skipper George Magariro, captain Oussama Dorragi converted the spot kick.

Dynamos and Algeria’s Entente de Setif are the only teams not to have picked points in Group A. The Harare giants slumped to a 2-0 defeat to TP Mazembe who stormed to the top of Group A with three points two weeks ago.

The Tunisian giants Esperance however shot to the top of Group A following yesterday’s win to dislodge TP Mazembe. Esperance took their points to six in two outings.

Algeria’s Entente de Setif were also beaten 1-0 by Esperance a fortnight ago. Although Dynamos are sailing in the same boat with Setif as they have not collected any points in Group A, they have conceded more goals than any other team in the four-team group. The team has conceded three goals in three outings.

Yesterday the Glamour Boys’ defence of Guthrie Zhokinyu, David Kutyauripo and Brighton Tuwaya managed to hold forte until the late penalty.
Dynamos will host Entente de Setif in another Group A match at the National Sports Stadium during the weekend of August 13-15. DeMbare will then travel to Algeria for a return fixture during the weekend of August 27-29.

Dynamos will then play TP Mazembe in the Democractic Republic of Congo (September 10-12). The team will wind their campaign with a home fixture against Esperance who broke their hearts yesterday. DeMbare are still in with a chance to progress to the semi finals but will have to win all their remaining games.

Dynamos fielded their chief striker Cuthbert Malajila, who has been at the centre of a dispute with Chapungu over his transfer fee, but he could not penetrate the watertight Esperance defence.

An air of desperation hangs over Entente de Sétif of Algeria who will collide with TP Mazembe in another Africa Champions League Group A encounter at Stade de la Kenya.

The former title holders Entente Setif slumped to a home loss two weeks ago against Esperance.
Setif striker Nabil Hemani summed up the crisis facing the teams who flopped at home: “We need at all costs to recover from our loss at home in the first series of games.

Hemani, leading scorer Hadj Aissa and Mohamed Yekhlef missed the 1-0 loss to Esperance through injury and coach Noureddine Zekri hopes all will be fit for the clash with the Congolese ‘Crows’.

Diego Garzitto, the coach of a Mazembe offered little hope to Setif.
“After winning away to a good Dynamos team we have two consecutive home fixtures and we aim to win those too. We made a few mistakes in Harare and worked hard to solve those problems.”

In Group B, Algeria’s JS Kabylie beat Nigeria’s Heartland Owerri 1-0 last night.

BY TARIK BRIK IN TUNISIA

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