The first round of the African Champions League and Confederation Cup got underway over the weekend with Egyptian clubs, all playing away and all playing in the first leg of the round of 32, achieving mixed results.

Defending Egyptian champions Ahly got off to a dream start in the Champions League, blanking Gor Mahia 3-0 in Kenya on Sunday in the round of 32.

South African winger Percy Tau scored a brace in the 15th and 74th minute.

Veteran defender Rami Rabia had opened the scoring just 14 minutes into the game.

The return leg is scheduled for Saturday in Cairo.

Ahly have won the tournament a record 12 times.

Also in the Champions League, Pyramids of Egypt and APR of Rwanda battled to a 1-1 draw on Saturday in Rwanda.

In the 50th minute, Moroccan right-back Mohamed Chibi inadvertently deflected the ball into his own net, giving hosts APR the lead.

However, Congolese forward Fiston Mayele rose to the occasion, heading in a brilliant equaliser for Pyramids just seven minutes before time.

Pyramids had finished as runners-up in the Egyptian League standings, trailing Ahly by six points.

They also won the Egyptian Cup, beating Zed 1-0.

In the second tier Confederation Cup, Egyptian holders Zamalek edged Kenya’s Police 1-0 on Saturday in Nairobi.

Veteran winger Abdullah Al-Said secured the win with a strike from outside the box one minute before halftime.

The return fixture is in Cairo on Friday.

Again in the Confederation Cup, Libya’s Al Hilal beat Egypt’s Masri 3-2 on Sunday, marking the only loss for an Egyptian team in this week’s preliminary rounds.

Striker Salah Mohsen found the net just a minute before halftime for Masri.

Midfielder Mohamed Al-Shiteewi leveled the score for Al Hilal five minutes before the break.

Mohsen restored Masri’s lead in the 63rd minute but Al Hilal’s captain Faisal Al Badri headed in the equaliser in the 68th minute.

Al-Shiteewi then clinched the vital win for Al Hilal with a header from close range just 10 minutes before the final whistle.

Masri earned a spot in the continental competition after finishing fourth in the Egyptian League last season.

The return leg is scheduled for next week in the Egyptian coastal city of Port Said.

* A version of this article appears in print in the 19 September, 2024 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly