Kabylie captain Souyad sinks Wydad, Sundowns win

A powerful header from captain Badreddine Souyad earned JS Kabylie of Algeria a 1-0 home victory over CAF Champions League title-holders Wydad Casablanca of Morocco on Friday.

Souyad gave goalkeeper Ahmed Tagnaouti no chance on 87 minutes as he pushed forward in a crowded six-yard box to connect with a corner in Algiers.

Victory lifted two-time champions Kabylie to the top of Group A with four points, three more than Petro Luanda of Angola. V Club from the Democratic Republic of Congo and Wydad have none.

V Club host Petro on Saturday while Wydad were playing their first match as Club World Cup commitments prevented them being involved in the Champions League last weekend.

The high-profile clash of clubs from north African neighbours produced few highlights before Souyad struck, with players battling to control the ball on a bumpy pitch.

Kabylie are among the 10 most successful clubs in CAF competitions with six titles, but the last came in 2002 when they won the now defunct CAF Cup a third straight time.

Since beating record 10-time Champions League winners Al Ahly of Egypt in the 2022 final, Wydad have employed three coaches.

Walid Regragui quit after Wydad were crowned CAF champions to take charge of Morocco, who last December became the first African nation to reach the World Cup semifinals.

Houcine Ammouta succeeded Regragui, but lasted only 107 days until Hassan Benabicha took over. He survived less than a month before current incumbent Mehdi Nafti from Tunisia was hired.

Nafti knows his job will be on the line if Wydad lose again next Friday when they host Petro in a repeat of a 2022 semifinal.

Elsewhere, exciting South African prospect Cassius Mailula scored twice and created the other goal as Mamelodi Sundowns beat Coton Sport of Cameroon 3-1 in the northwestern city of Garoua.

An intercept set up Mailula to score on 10 minutes and less than 60 seconds later he crossed for Thapula Morena to double the lead.

A brilliant diagonal pass enabled Patient Wassou to score with a low shot on the half hour and halve the deficit.

Mailula burst through to score again before halftime and give Sundowns a six-point lead in Group B ahead of a blockbuster showdown with Ahly in Cairo next Saturday.

Al Merrikh of Sudan and five-time champions Zamalek of Egypt drew 0-0 in Group D – a result that suited neither side after losing their first matches.