Congo's TP Mazembe put on a show in the first leg of the African Champions League final by destroying Tunisia's Esperance 5-0 to position themselves to retain its title as best African club football team. For Esperance, it was a disappointing showing, who were forced to play the final 65 minutes a man down after Mohamed Ben Mansour was sent off for an off-the-ball incident. It left the home side ready to pour on the pressure, and the goals. Ngandu Kasongo and Given Singuluma scored twice and midfielder Alain Kaluyitika added a penalty to put the defending champions in a near guaranteed championship when the two sides play in Tunisia in two weeks. Kaluyitika won and converted a penalty just before halftime, Zambian forward Singuluma scored in the 55th and 59th minutes and Ngandu's second goal in the 75th made it 5-0 for a dominant Mazembe, which was also crowned Africa's champion club in 1967 and 1968. Mazembe lost two of its leading players, captain Tresor Mputu and Guy Lusadisu to long-term FIFA suspensions halfway through the season and coach Diego Garzitto left his position just before the semifinals, forcing the club to bring in former Senegal manager Lamine Ndiaye for the latter stages. Esperance, which has won the competition once, in 1994, now faces an uphill task at home in Rades, near Tunis, in the return match on Nov. 13. Captain Oussama Darragi was substituted after Mansour was dismissed and leading scorer and Nigeria striker Michael Eneramo was isolated for most of the game. It was Esperance's heaviest defeat in the competition. The winner of the African Champions League receives $1.5 million and earns a place at December's FIFA Club World Cup in Abu Dhabi. BM
