Lwanga’s Simba seal top spot, but Ochaya’s Mazembe are out

Tanzanian giants Simba beat Caf Champions League holders Al Ahly to the top spot in Group A following a 4-1 home victory over AS Vita on Saturday.
East Africa’s last standing representative in the competition, marshalled in the midfield by Uganda Cranes’ Taddeo Lwanga, maintained their unbeaten run with a stellar show in front of 10,000 fans at the National Stadium in Dar es Salaam.

Lwanga put behind the Cranes’ failure to make the Africa Cup of Nations by delivering a quality 90 minutes where he completed all his 34 passes for the team’s best individual accuracy.
“Electricity,” a delighted Lwanga posted across his social media platforms. 

The stage was however lit up by his teammates, Mozambican Luis Miquissone, Zambian pairing Clatous Chama (two) and Larry Bwalya, whose goals buried Florent Ibenge’s team.
Vita’s consolation by Soze Zemanga could have breached Simba’s defence for the first time in the pool but coach Didier Gomes will be impressed with the 13 points picked from a possible 15 ahead of their final group game in Egypt.
And it means that Simba will finish ahead of Al Ahly after the Egyptian outfit was held to a 2-all draw by Al Merrikh in Omdurman, Sudan.

Defenders Badr Benoun and Yassir Ibrahim scored to spare the blushes of title-holders Al Ahly.
Onyango’s Sundowns draw
Even if Cranes’ skipper Denis Onyango had an extended holiday in Kampala, his club Mamelodi Sundowns still got a clean sheet away in a goalless draw against Al Hilal to keep top Group B spot with 13 points.
Onyango’s Cranes deputy Salim Jamal was on the bench for Hilal.

However, Jamal and Onyango’s counterpart Joseph Ochaya will not play the quarterfinals after his side TP Mazembe lost 2-0 away to Algeria’s CR Belouizdad.
The five-time winners Mazembe were devoid of a number of starters, including Ochaya, and they paid the price for having collected just two points from the first four outings. 
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