Algerian giants win big at home as Pyramids play to draw

• USM Alger thrashed St Eloi Lupopo 3-0
• Pyramids played to a 2-2 draw with AS FAR
• They play the second round of matches next weekend

USM Alger moved joint top of Group A in the CAF Confederation Cup after seeing off DR Congolese side St. Eloi Lupopo 3-0 in Algiers, while in Egypt, Abdalla Said scored the equalizer as hosts Pyramids played to a 2-2 draw with Morocco’s AS FAR.

In Algiers, USMA were on top of the game against their Congolese visitors. Khaled Bousseliou scored in either half with Algeria’s Starman at the Africa Nations Championship (CHAN) Aymen Mahious adding the third late in the second half.

The home side led 1-0 at the end of the first half, having seen 63pc of the possession and had more chances at goal. They broke the deadlock in the seventh minute when Bousseliou slid in inside the box to connect a cross from Saadi Radouani home.

Visitors contained well

The visitors were contained well and had two close chances at goal. Manu Bola had a shot from the right saved while A-Samiou Tchatakora came closest with a point blank header which was kept out by the keeper’s feet.

In the second half, USMA stepped up their efforts and they added their second in the 65^th minute when Bousseliou scored his second, another sweeping finish after a freekick from Adem Alilet was nodded down to his direction by Mahious.

The latter then sealed the win eight minutes to time when he drilled a freekick hard and low into the bottom right after being rolled on by Abderrahmane Meziane.

The win sees them sit second in Group A behind South Africa’s Marumo Gallants who won 4-1 against Libya’s Al Akhdar in the earlier fixture.

Pyramids, FAR play to thrilling draw

Meanwhile in Cairo, Pyramids and FAR played to a thrilling 2-2 draw, a match that sees an all square Group C, with all teams drawing their opening round of matches.

The home side got into the lead barely a minute into the match when Mostafa Fathi hammered a shot from inside the box. But, FAR equalized after 25 minutes when Diney Borges rose highest to nod home a corner.

The pace of the game lit up in the second half and it was the visitors who went into the lead in the 73^rd minute, Mustapha Sahd heading home at the near post from a corner.

But the lead lasted only two minutes as Said got his side back on level terms with a thumping shot after being teed up by Reda Slim.

The goal inspired some fight from the 2019-20 finalists who saw room to grab a winner, but they couldn’t crack a tough FAR backline.