With two first half goals, Moroccan giants Raja Casablanca secured a comfortable home win over Tunisian side Etoile du Sahel in a Maghreb derby on Saturday. 

Promising striker Abdel-Kabir El-Ouadi opened the scoring in the 22nd minute and Nigerian forward Christian Osaguona doubled the lead just before the break.

The visitors attacked en masse after the interval to get back in the game. They came close in the 75th minute when they were awarded a penalty but Youssef Mouihbi wasted the spot kick. 

Raja could have increased their lead, thanks to Etoile's defensive gaps, but their forwards were largerly wasteful in the final third.

The Tunisians had a couple of chances deep in injury time though when two close-range attempts crashed off the post and bar, leaving Etoile needing to overturn a 2-0 deficit in the second leg in a fortnight. 

Club Sfaxien, the other Tunisian side playing Saturday, were more fortunate as they beat ASEC Abidjan 2-0 at home. International midfielder Ali Maaloul broke the deadlock in the 40th minute from a direct free kick to make up for his missed penalty a few minutes earlier.

Taha Yassine secured the full points of the game with a second goal in the 78th minute.

Earlier in the day, Stade Malien defeated AS Vita Club 2-0 to take a first-leg advantage.

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