CAF CC: Perfect Campaign For Raja, As Kabylie, Jaraaf Top Groups

  CAF CC: Perfect Campaign For Raja, As Kabylie, Jaraaf Top Groups By Admin Morocco’s Raja concluded what was a perfect group stage campaign, having their sixth win in as many games to finish Group D of the 2020-21 Total CAF Confederation Cup with maximum 18 points, and without conceding a single goal in the process. Meanwhile, Algeria’s JS Kabylie and Senegal’s surprise packs ASC Les Jaraaf finished Groups B and C respectively on top spot, as the mini-league stage was concluded on Wednesday night. In Group B, Algeria’s JS Kabylie secured group’s top spot by defeating Zambian debutants NAPSA Stars 2-1 in Tizi Ouzou. Mohamed Bencherifa broke the deadlock at the half hour mark, while Kouceila Boualia doubled the hosts lead after 57 minutes. Kabylie had to finish the game with ten men when Rezki Hamroune was shown the red card after 80 minutes. Emanuel Mayuka made use of the numeriacal advantage to score an injury time consolation for NAPSA, as JSK finished the group on top with 12 points. Fellow quarterfinalists Coton Sport of Cameroon finished second on nine points after suffering an away 2-1 defeat to holders and shock eliminated RS Berkane of Morocco in Berkane. Omar Namsaoui scored Berkane’s opener after just nine minutes, while Hamdi Laachir added the second seven minutes after the break. Coton scored a late consolation through Lambert Araina three minutes from time, as the defending champions ended their disappointing campaign with home win that saw them finish the group third on eight points, four more than bottom side NAPSA Stars. And Group C, Senegal’s Jaraaf finished the group on top, after holding fellow qualifiers’ CS Sfaxien of Tunisia to a goalless draw in Sfax. Having both qualified prior to the final matchday, there was few action at Taib Mhiri Stadium as the game ended in a barren stalemate that left Jaraaf first on 10 points, one more than Sfaxien. Meanwhile in Tunis, Etoile du Sahel scored in each half to beat Burkina Faso’s Salitas 2-1 and finish the group in third place. Hamza Lahmar scored as early as the sixth minute, while Souleymane Coulibaly added a second two minutes after the break, with Aymen Sfaxi being the provider in both events. Salitas pulled one back through substitute Drame Michailou after 72 minutes. Etoile, who were the shock group stage victims, finished third on 8 points, while Salitas trailed the group with three. And in Group D, Moroccan giants Raja finished the mini-league stage with perfect record, having their sixth victory in as many matches, as they defeated Zambia’s Nkana 2-0 in Casablanca. The Green Eagles gathered the maximum 18 points, scoring 13 goals and conceding none in what was a perfect group stage campaign for them. Despite fielding a second-string side after already guaranteeing the group top spot, Raja took the lead through Riad Idbouiguiguine after 18 minutes, before Noah Sadaoui doubled their lead three minutes from halftime. In Cairo, last year’s runners-up Pyramids finished the group second on 12 points, after beating Tanzanian visitors Namungo 1-0. Youngster Ibrahim Adel scored the game’s lone goal after 65 minutes making use of Ibrahim Hassan pass. Nkana finished the group third on six points, while Namungo trailed the pack pointless and without even scoring in the campaign.