African Confederation Cup: Nkana lose long home record to Raja Casablanca

Nkana of Zambia's 64-match unbeaten home record in African competitions ended on Wednesday with a 2-0 loss to Raja Casablanca of Morocco in the Confederation Cup.

Soufiane Rahimi converted a 47th-minute penalty for the visitors in Ndola and substitute Noah Sadaoui added a second goal with three minutes of regular time remaining.

Rahimi was Morocco's leading scorer when they won last month's African Nations Championship (CHAN) for home-based footballers in Cameroon.

The Moroccans cast aside poor recent continental form to win the Group D match comfortably and share first place with Egypt's Pyramids in their group, leaving Namungo of Tanzania and Nkana pointless.

Ramadan Sobhy and substitute Omar Gaber scored in the second half as Pyramids defeated Namungo 2-0 in Dar es Salaam.

Pyramids, who lost to Renaissance Berkane of Morocco in the 2020 Confederation Cup final, are the only team with a perfect record in the African equivalent of the Europa League this season having won six matches.

Orlando Pirates replaced Enyimba as leaders of Group A - the toughest of the four sections -groups - with a late Tshegofatso Mabasa goal giving the South Africans a 2-1 victory over the Nigerians in South Africa.

Mabasa missed a penalty earlier in the second half after Deon Hotto gave Pirates the lead on 27 minutes and Enyimba captain Austin Oladapo levelled from a spot-kick just before half-time.

In the same group, Al Ahly Benghazi of Libya overcame having to play in Cairo for security reasons and losing Abdallah Imhamed to a red card on 76 minutes to win 1-0 against Entente Setif of Algeria.

The only goal of the north African showdown came in the third minute when Jibreel Alwadawi beat goalkeeper Sofiane Khedairia.

Holders Berkane lost for the first time in defence of the title, going down 2-0 away to Coton Sport of Cameroon in Group B in Garoua.

In the second half, Souaibou Marou scored his second goal of the campaign and Sibiri Sanou his first to take Coton to second, one point behind JS Kabylie of Algeria.

Massinissa Nezla equalised in the 90th minute as Kabylie came from two goals behind to draw 2-2 with NAPSA Stars of Zambia in Lusaka.

Jimmy Mukeya and Doisy Soko netted for NAPSA before teammate Amos Simwanza conceded an own-goal to bring the visitors back into the game.

Tunisian clubs had mixed luck in Group C in west Africa with CS Sfaxien drawing 1-1 against Jaraaf in Senegal and Etoile Sahel falling 1-0 to Salitas in Burkina Faso.

Olivier Boissy was the Salitas match-winner with his fifth goal of the campaign and Mamadou Sylla rescued a point for Jaraaf by scoring in stoppage time.

The remaining four match-days are scheduled for April and group winners and runners-up qualify for the quarter-finals.

This article originally appeared in BBC Sport

Photo: BBC Sport