JOHANNESBURG: Al Ahli made a winning start to the defense of their African Champions League crown on Saturday, defeating Tusker FC of Kenya 2-0 in Nairobi in the first leg of a second-round tie. Both goals came from Emad Motaeb, one of the heroes of Egypt s triumph at last month s African Nations Cup, as the holders coasted through a routine assignment with the return leg in Cairo still to come at the end of the month. Etoile Sahel, runners-up in the competition the last two years, were also 2-0 away winners with two goals in two minutes in the first half ensuring a triumph at AS Polisi in Zanzibar. Sabeur Ben Frej opened the scoring before Mouri Ogunbiyi added a second in the 26th minute. Both Al Ahli and Etoile Sahel had byes in the first round last month. Nigeria s Enyimba, winners of the Champions League in 2003 and 2004, forced a 0-0 draw away at Diaraf Dakar of Senegal on Friday to set up their potential progress to the third round next month. Two other former winners of the continent s top club competition were beaten in their second round, first-leg ties on Saturday. Royal Armed Forces of Morocco conceded two late goals to go down 2-1 at Rwanda s APR FC in Kigali while JS Kabylie of Algeria lost 1-0 to Zambian champions ZANACO in Lusaka. The return legs will be played on the weekend of March 31, April 1-2 and the winners will advance to the third knockout round next month. Reuters
