By Tatenda Choto
Union Sportive de la Médina d’Alger (USM Alger) managed to sail through to the CAF Champions league knock out phase after thoroughly beating Zimbabwean Champions Caps United 4-1 at the Stade Omar Hamadi stadium.
The Zimbabwean Champions came on target once through Abbasi Amidu whilst the hosts could not stop scoring in front of their fans that had filled the stadium to capacity and created enough noise to enable the twelfth player in to play.
Fear crept in to the Makepekepe camp from the first whistle with their only attempt in the first half coming from a Ronald Pfumbidzai’s inviting corner kick that heat the cross bar, other than that Caps United were dominated throughout the match.
Overall Caps were pinned to the ground especially in the middle of the park with no spark from the usually mobile Ronald Chitiyo and Tafadzwa Rusike.
USM Alger showed the momentum to score after missing a series of goal scoring opportunities before Hammar Zari unleashed a thrilling shot from the far left end that got the better of the Caps United goalkeeper in to the top corner for the first goal.
Five minutes before the half time USM Alger extended the tally through Hamzaoui Okacha who came behind the sleeping Carlton Munzabwa to head in the match’s second.
Caps United nightmare got even worse in the second half as USM Alger kept knocking for goals but the goalkeeper Prosper Chigumba stood his ground to prevent further damage.
Caps narrowly escaped a third goal with a brilliant save from the goalkeeper after a Mohammed Rabie Mefta free kick. Justice Jangano made a clearance after his misjudged aerial ball that nearly got the better of his goalkeeper.
In the 77th minute USM Alger added another goal to the score sheet from a Mefta corner kick that found Darfaloe Oussama unmarked and directed the ball to the far post behind the hopeless goalkeeper.
Caps pulled one in the last 10 minutes of play after Ronald Chitiyo took advantage from a mistimed clearance before playing Abbasi Amidu who set himself and powered a shot past the goalkeeper for a consolation.
With the last 3 minutes of play Darfaloe added the ice on the cake by converting on a rebound from a poorly save by the goalkeeper to make the score line 4-1.
Caps anchor the bottom of group B alongside Egyptian Champions Zamalek after they were held to a two all draw against Al Ahly Tripoli to end their campaign with 6 points and have both been booted out of the Caf Champions League.
