صفر هلالي جديد ينضم إلى القائمة الصفرية.. والطائرة التونسية تقلع من سوسه

Quote: CAF Confederations Cup: Sfaxien, Merrikh stroll into finals 08/10/2007, Tunisia’s CS Sfaxien and El-Merrikh reached the finals of the CAF Confederation Cup by emerging as winners of their respective groups after the ultimate matches was cleared over the weekend. Sfaxien beat South African Champions, Mamelodi Sundowns 2-1 in Pretoria to remain at the apex of Group A on 13 points, one more than close contenders T.P. Mazembe who also beat Astres 2-1 in Douala. For Group B, despite a 0-3 loss away at Dolphins, Merrikh went through courtesy superior goals after both clubs finished on ten points while Ismaili of Egypt redeemed their image in the competition with a lone goal victory over Nigeria’s Kwara United. Dolphins could have edged Merrikh at the summit of the table with a 5-0 victory for their second final appearance in two years. Sfaxien, losing finalists in last year’s MTN-CAF Champions League realized their second successive appearance in the finals of a major continental club championship thanks to a late strike by Blaise Mbelo Lelo. The DR Congo striker’s 88th minute goal ensured the maximum points for the Sfax-based side after veteran striker Peter Ndlovu had put the homesters in front after ten minutes with a superb finish from a Josta Dladla pass. Midfielder Chadi Hammani headed home the equalizer eight minutes from time to put his side in strong contention for the $300,000 monetary reward. In Douala, a brace from leading striker Tresor Mputu (17th and 60th) pushed visiting T.P. Mazembe to a 2-1 victory over Astres after Hans Ossah had put the Cameroonians through after eight minutes. It was Mazembe’s first win away from home but it was not enough to aid their dreams of playing in the finals. Santos Mutumbila, coach of the DR Congo side said his team has learnt some valuable lessons from their campaign and will beef up his squad for a successful campaign next year. In Group B, a ninth minute own goal by Merrikh defender Baha Dine made all to believe that Dolphins were on course for the five goal magic but erratic shooting upfront by their frontmen ensured it remained a daydream. Striker Owazouke Wobo doubled the after twenty-three minutes from the spot after he was fouled in the box by a hard-pressed defender of the Sudanese giants before Thankgod Amaefule increased the tally to three also from the spot four minutes past the hour mark. But the tight defensive play of Merrikh ensured that the two goals Dolphins needed to complete their quest remained elusive. In Ismailia a first half strike from Youssef Gamal gave Ismaili their second win of the competition and the first in their last four outings in all competitions. The former African Champions, who appointed former player Ismail Hefni in the days leading up to the continental tie placed third on eight points with Kwara perched comfortably at the bottom on five points. The first leg of the finals is scheduled for the weekend on November 2-4, with the return encounter fixed for November 23-25.