Youngster Jackson Muleka scored a brace as Congolese giants TP Mazembe ensured they finished tops in Group A of the 2019/20 Caf Champions League with a comfortable 3-1 victory over Zesco United in Lubumbashi on Saturday.
The victory saw them finish with 14 points, five ahead of second-placed Zamalek who picked up a point away to Primero de Agosto in Luanda.
Zesco and Primero finish the group without a single victory. Primero are third with four points from four draws while Zesco finish bottom with three points, also from three draws.
In Lubumbashi, Mazembe were out to finish up the group phase with a victory for their home fans. They got into the lead in the 31st minute when Muleka converted from the spot. But, their lead lasted only three minutes with Zesco drawing level when Kalengo glanced in a header from a cross on the right.
The two sides headed into the break levelled at 1-1 and Zesco who had given a good account of themselves looked determined to snatch a maiden group stage win.
But in the second half, the home side came revitalized.
Muleka had a glorious chance in the 57th minute when he was sent through on goal, but his attempt at chipping the ball over the advancing Jacob Banda in the Zesco goal went awry, the ball rolling wide.
The home side, however, went 2-1 up three minutes later when Chico Ushindi fired a brilliant left-foot curler from the edge of the box. It was such joy for Ushindi as Kabangu Mulota had been on the by-line waiting to substitute him.
With 12 minutes left, Mazembe sealed the game with Muleka making amends for his earlier miss, stretching a foot to tap home the third from Koffi Kouame’s cross.
Meanwhile, in Angola, Primero’s hopes of clinching at least one group stage win were all futile as they wasted several glorious scoring chances. Manuel Afonso came close for the home side with a shot that went against the crossbar.
On the other end, Zamalek had a chance but Omar Elsaid’s looping header.
Primero’s star man Cristovao ‘Mabululu’ Paciencia had two chances, first with a bouncing header that went straight to the keeper while his second was with a long-range effort that was also saved.
They had more chances in the second half with Ary Papel coming closest towards the end with a snapshot inside the box that was well saved by the hawkeyed Zamalek keeper Mohamed Hussein.
©Cafonline
