Zamalek creep, Berkane cruise into CAF Cup group stage
CAF Confederation Cup title-holders Zamalek of Egypt and Renaissance Berkane, the Moroccan club they beat in the last final, made contrasting entries to the 2025 group stage on Friday.
A gift goal for Nasser Maher helped Zamalek win 2-1 at home against African debutants Police of Kenya and 3-1 on aggregate.
Berkane, twice winners and twice runners-up in the past six editions of the African equivalent of the UEFA Europa League, hammered Dadje of Benin 5-0 for a 7-0 overall victory.
They were joined in the mini-league phase by 2009 Confederation Cup winners Stade Malien of Mali, who triumphed 3-1 at home to Paynesville from Liberia and advanced 3-2 on aggregate.
Another 13 clubs will join them after three second round, second leg qualifiers on Saturday and 10 on Sunday.
Having won 1-0 in Nairobi last weekend, 12-time CAF title winners Zamalek were expected to win convincingly in Cairo.
But it took the White Knights 56 minutes to break the return-match deadlock with veteran forward Ahmed 'Zizo' Sayed netting.
As Police tried to pass their way out of their area four minutes later, disaster struck when Maher intercepted the ball and scored.
Jesse Were halved the second-leg deficit with a goal on 66 minutes that shook Zamalek and they qualified after an unimpressive performance.
Brazilian Mateus Santos and Burkina Faso international Issoufou Dayo, from a penalty, were among the scorers for Berkane, who lost the 2024 final against Zamalek on away goals.
Malien wasted little time overcoming a 1-0 away loss to Paynesville with Moctar Cisse, Soumaila Magassouba and Souleymane Drame putting the hosts three goals ahead after 24 minutes in Bamako.
Mark Paye pulled one goal back just before the hour with his fourth of the CAF campaign to create a tense finish, but the second goal the Monrovia outfit needed to qualify eluded them.
