Raja Casablanca dent AmaZulu Caf Champions League quarter-final hopes following 2-0 victory
AmaZulu FC’s ambitions of progressing to the Caf Champions League quarter-finals took a knock after they suffered a 2-0 defeat to Raja Casablanca in a Group B clash on Friday evening.
Hamid Ahadad opened the scoring to hand the 12-time Moroccan champions an early lead before Ilias Haddad netted after the restart to seal the visitors’ win in an encounter which was played at the iconic Moses Mabhida Stadium.
AmaZulu were desperate to snap their three-match winless run and also boost their hopes of advancing to the knockout phase. Luvuyo Memela, who scored Usuthu’s winning goals against ES Setif and Horoya AC in Group B matches, started upfront alongside Augustine Mulenga and Thabo Qalinge.
On the other hand, Raja were wounded having seen their 10-match unbeaten run come to an end when they lost 2-1 to Horoya in a Group B encounter last weekend. The Green Eagles looked to their influential forward Ahadad, who had scored their consolation goal against Horoya.
It took just six minutes for Ahadad to break the deadlock as he finished off a move he had started. The former Zamalek star made a run from midfield before playing the ball out wide to Mouhssine Moutouali, whose long ball sent Ahadad through on goal and he looped the ball over on-rushing goalkeeper Veli Mothwa to make it 1-0 to Raja.
Usuthu found it difficult to create goalscoring opportunities with the Green Eagles’ defence looking solid and impenetrable, but Memela did create half a chance after a brilliant run down the right flank. The 34-year-old attempted a cut back pass for Qalinge, but keeper Maroune Fakhr came out to block the ball and the visitors cleared their lines.
Ahadad was a constant threat to AmaZulu’s defence and he was fouled near the hosts’ box by Makhehlene Makhaula. Mohammed Nahiri stepped up and unleashed a fierce shot from the set-piece, and Mothwa tipped the ball over the crossbar. The score was 1-0 to the three-time African champions during the half-time break.
AmaZulu came back a rejuvenated side following their half-time team talk with their coach Benni McCarthy, but they were giving away possession cheaply in the final third. The former Cape Town City coach decided to introduce attacking midfielders Siphesihle Maduna and Hendrick Ekstein.
However, the Green Eagles were looking dangerous on the counterattack and Moutouali forced Mothwa into a smart save at the near-post – pushing the ball out for the corner-kick. The visitors doubled the lead in the 76th minute as Haddad beat Mothwa with a powerful header to make it 2-0 to Raja with Jamal Harkass providing the assist.
The momentum was with Usuthu in the dying of the game, but Fakhr was in good form between the sticks for the visitors as he pulled a double save to deny Bonginkosi Ntuli and Thembela Sikhakhane. Ultimately, the game ended in a 2-0 win in favour of Group B leaders, Raja, who booked their spot in the quarter-finals.
The defeat left AmaZulu in third place on the Group B standings – level on points with second-placed Setif who will take on Horoya on Friday night. AmaZulu’s next game is against Horoya on April 1 in Guinea.
