Africa-Press – Uganda. Caf and Fifa officials led by respective president Patrice Motsepe and Gianni Infantino carried a sense of satisfaction after the African Football League (AFL) eventually got underway at the weekend.
Tanzania’s coastal city of Dar es Salaam played host to the AFL’s first-ever opener, with home side Simba SC playing out a 2-all stalemate against the continent’s most successful club Al Ahly of Egypt.
The sights of packed stands and a colourful opening ceremony was greeted by a warm reception online, many projecting Tanzania could do similar when East Africa hosts the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations finals.
“Football unites the world and today, football unites the world from here, from Tanzania,” Infantino ignited the Benjamin Mkapa National Stadium on Friday.
“This is football, this is Africa, an incredible crowd, incredible fans,” Infantino added in a video reel via his Instagram page.
Even before, Motsepe and Fifa officials including chief of global football development Arsene Wenger and head of referees Pierluigi Collina attended the AFL trophy unveiling, designed by visionary artist Senegalese Bibi Seck.
On the pitch, Reda Slim gave the visitors the lead at the stroke of half-time but Simba roared back with two goals in a space of six minutes after the break from Denis Kibu and Sadjo Kanoute in the 53rd and 59th minutes.
Al Ahly leveled matters through Kahraba three minutes later and the Egyptian side will feel they hold advantage over Simba ahead of the second leg in Cairo on Tuesday.
On Saturday, Mamelodi Sundowns’ goalkeeper Rowen Williams saved a first-half penalty from Hugo Marquez before his teammates Marcelo Allende and Gift Maseko scored in the second period for a 2-0 away win over Angolan hosts Petro de Luanda.
Former Uganda Cranes captain Denis Onyango was on the bench for Sundowns. Meanwhile, Infantino and his colleagues from Fifa spent the weekend in East Africa with the group launching a Fifa Football for Schools program launched in Burundi.
AFRICA FOOTBALL LEAGUE
QUARTERFINALS – FIRST LEG RESULTS
Simba (TAZ) 2-2 Al Ahly (EGY)
Petró (ANG) 0-2 Sundowns (RSA)
TP Mazembe (DRC) 2-0 ES Tunis (TUN)
Enyimba (NGR) 0-1 Wydad (MOR)
SECOND LEGS – TUESDAY
5pm: Al Ahly (EGY) vs. Simba (TAZ)
8pm: Sundowns (RSA) vs. Petró (ANG)
WEDNESDAY
6pm: ES Tunis vs. TP Mazembe
10pm Wydad vs. Enyimba
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