Stade Malien punish Petro errors to go top of Group D, Kimputu penalty lifts Lupopo past MC Alger
Stade Malien moved to the top of Group D of the TotalEnergies CAF Champions League with a composed 2–0 victory over Petro de Luanda in Bamako on Sunday, capitalising on costly defensive mistakes to move clear at the top of the table at the halfway stage of the competition.
Stade Malien Punish Petro
Second-half goals from Taddeus Nkeng and captain Mamadou Traoré settled a contest that had been evenly poised before the break, lifting the Malian side to seven points from three matches and opening up a two-point lead over their nearest challengers.
The hosts showed greater intent in a cagey first half, probing patiently as Petro de Luanda sat deep and looked to absorb pressure.
The best opening fell to Daouda Coulibaly midway through the half, but Petro goalkeeper Nuno Marques reacted sharply, racing off his line to block from close range and keep the scores level.
The match turned decisively five minutes after the restart.
A mis-hit goal kick from Marques was seized upon by Traoré in midfield, and the Stade Malien skipper quickly fed Nkeng, who struck a low effort from distance that crept past the stranded goalkeeper to give the home side the breakthrough.
Petro’s problems deepened moments later. As the visitors attempted to play out from the back, left-back Eddie Afonso slipped under pressure, allowing Ousmane “Kalaba” Coulibaly to surge down the right and deliver a low cross.
Traoré arrived unmarked to hammer the ball into the roof of the net, doubling the advantage and leaving Petro stunned.
The Angolan champions threatened a response when substitute Jó Paciência missed a gilt-edged chance in the 75th minute, but Stade Malien remained organised to see out the win and maintain their impressive continental form.
The result confirms Stade Malien as early pace-setters in Group D, while Petro de Luanda drop to third on four points.
Elsewhere in the group, Espérance de Tunis edged Simba SC 1–0, keeping the race for qualification finely balanced ahead of the return fixtures.
St Éloi Lupopo edge MC Alger with stoppage-time penalty
St Éloi Lupopo reignited their TotalEnergies CAF Champions League campaign with a dramatic 1–0 win over MC Alger on Sunday, snatching victory deep into stoppage time in Lubumbashi to climb back into contention in Group C.
The decisive moment came in the fifth minute of added time at Stade de la Victoire, when substitute Enock Molia was fouled inside the area by Algerian defender Ghezala.
With the pressure at its peak, Michael Kimputu stepped up and calmly sent the goalkeeper the wrong way from the penalty spot to spark celebrations among the home supporters.
For much of the evening, the contest had been finely balanced. Lupopo enjoyed slightly more of the initiative and showed greater urgency, but clear-cut chances were hard to come by.
MC Alger, still searching for their first win of the group stage, remained organised at the back and appeared on course to escape with a valuable point.
The first half produced few moments of real danger, with both sides cancelling each other out in midfield.
After the break, Lupopo pushed higher up the pitch, encouraged by the home crowd, yet their final pass often let them down. MC Alger continued to absorb pressure, defending in numbers and looking to frustrate their hosts.
Just as the match seemed destined to end goalless, the late penalty swung the contest decisively in Lupopo’s favour. Kimputu’s composed finish sealed the Congolese side’s first victory of the group stage and transformed the complexion of Group C.
The result lifts St Éloi Lupopo to four points after three matches, moving them into third place at the halfway stage.
MC Alger, meanwhile, remain bottom with just one point and face an uphill task to keep their qualification hopes alive.
At the top of the standings, Mamelodi Sundowns and Al Hilal Omdurman are level on five points, underlining how tightly poised the group remains as the race for the quarter-finals intensifies.
