Johannesburg (AFP) – Nkana stretched their unbeaten home record to 60 matches in African competitions when they trounced fellow Zambians Zesco United 3-0 on Sunday to lead a CAF Confederation Cup group.
The club based in central city Kitwe have won 43 matches and drawn 17 in Zambia since making their CAF debut 36 years ago with a 2-2 home draw against Mbabane Highlanders of Swaziland (now eSwatini).
Al Ahly of Egypt, the most successful club in CAF competitions with 19 titles, have a long way to go to match Nkana as they are unbeaten at home in 19 African matches since 2016.
Nkana went ahead on 64 minutes through Kelvin Kampamba and late goals from Ronald Kampamba and Shadrick Musonda sealed a victory that propelled them to the top of Group C.
They have nine points, Al Hilal of Sudan seven and Asante Kotoko of Ghana six, while Zesco with four can no longer finish among the top two and qualify for the quarter-finals.
Zesco, with a strong multi-national squad and an impressive CAF pedigree, were seeded to win the group but after beating Nkana at home collected only one point from a possible 12.
Former African champions Kotoko host Hilal in Kumasi later on Sunday and a win for either club would take them above Nkana with one round remaining.
Meanwhile, Petro Atletico of Angola moved from the bottom to the top of Group D thanks to a 2-0 home victory against previous pacesetters NA Hussein Dey of Algeria.
Ricardo ‘Job’ Estevao netted after 16 minutes and Brazilian Tiago Azulao doubled the lead six minutes before half-time in Luanda by converting a penalty.
It was the fifth goal for Sao Paulo-born Azulao in the second-tier African competition this season — one less than chart-topper Godwin Aguda from Nigerian outfit Enugu Rangers.
Petro and Hussein Dey have seven points each with the better head-to-head record of the Angolans placing them first.
Gor Mahia of Kenya have six points and nine-time CAF title winners Zamalek of Egypt five in the same section ahead of a clash in Alexandria later Sunday.
