Khanyisa Mayo’s CR Belouizdad floor Congolese giants to keep Champions League dream alive

Published on by Joel Oliver, updated on

The Algerian giants stormed into the second preliminary round after beating AC Leopards

Khanyisa Mayo’s CR Belouizdad have made it to the CAF Champions League second preliminary round following a 3-0 aggregate win over Congolese side AC Leopards on Sunday.

The Algerian giants were carrying a 2-0 first leg advantage into the match and scored early to make life difficult for their opponents and calm some nerves.

Belouizdad went ahead in the 24th minute through Abdelraouf Benguit and held firm to claim the victory.

Khanyisa Mayo completes move to North African club
Khanyisa Mayo – Photo by CR Belouizdad

When will Mayo make Champions League bow?

Bafana Bafana star Mayo was not involved in the match as he was not part of the squad registered for this round following his big-money transfer from Cape Town City this month.

Mayo will hope to play an integral part in the second round once he is registered for the competition as the Algerian club is up against AS Douanes of Senegal.

Belouizdad will hope to make it into the group stages as they look for better fortunes this season after exiting at the same stage last season.

Khanyisa Mayo 2

Belouizdad hoping for better fortunes this season

The Algerian club were in a tough group that included Tanzanian giants Yanga and eventual champions Al Ahly from Egypt last season but there is optimism that they can challenge some of the continental giants given the huge investment they have made to the squad with the addition of the likes of Mayo.

The first leg will be played between September 13 and 15 while the return match is slated between September 20 and 22. 

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Joel Oliver

Joel Oliver is a seasoned multimedia sports journalist with a rich background in covering diverse football stories and events in South Africa and beyond.
His extensive coverage spans subjects touching on the PSL, with a focus on the Big Three (Orlando Pirates, Kaizer Chiefs & Mamelodi Sundowns), Bafana Bafana and Banyana Banyana.