African Roundup

Chaouche's two goals keep Mouloudia Alger in contention

JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) -- A roundup of African league matches at the weekend and on Monday:

ALGERIA - Two second-half goals from Karim Chaouche gave Mouloudia Alger a 2-0 win over US Chaouia on Monday and kept up their hopes of staying in contention with the top two teams in the first division.

Mouloudia moved into third place in the standings on 34 points with nine matches left but they are still nine points adrift of leaders JS Kabylie and eight behind second placed USM Alger.

Entente Setif slipped one place to fourth after a 2-0 defeat at CA Bordj Bou-Areeridj. Fifth-placed ASO Chlef also lost, 1-0 away to Mouloudia Oran.

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TUNISIA - Champions Esperance, chasing a seventh successive league title, moved six points clear of their nearest rivals scpring in the last minute through substitute Hamsi Harbaoui to win 1-0 at CA Bizerte on Saturday.

Esperance's closest rivals Etoile Sahel were beaten 1-0 at Stade Tunisien in Tunis on Sunday with Oussama Sellami scoring three minutes into stoppage time.

Etoile Sahel are joined on 25 points by CS Sfaxien, whose Senegalese striker Tenema Ndiaye scored both goals in Saturday's 2-0 home win over ES Beni Khalled.

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MOROCCO - A hat-trick from Ahmed Ajdou ensured a 4-2 win for Royal Armed Forces over AS Sale and kept up their lead in the national league on Sunday.

The army club are two points clear of Wydad Casablanca, who beat Maghreb Fes 1-0 with an early goal from Mohamed Madihi.

Olympique Khourigba remained in third place, three points off the pace, after a 2-1 triumph over Kenitra.

Hassania Agadir, who play in the African Champions League this weekend, won 2-1 at home over MC Oudja.

But Hassania are well off the pace, nine points behind Royal Armed Forces.

Receipts from matches in the first and second divisions are to be donated to the victims of last month's earthquake at Al Hoceima, officials said.

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EGYPT - Leaders Zamalek needed a stoppage-time winner from international striker Gamza Hamal to beat Al Ittihad 3-2 on Friday and keep up their nine-point lead in the league.

Unbeaten Zamalek have 32 points from 12 matches, well ahead of second placed ENPPI, who were 3-0 winners at Tersana on Friday.

ENPPI are level on points with Ismaili and Al Mahalla on 23 points but have a better goal difference.

Ismailia, runners-up in last year's African Champions League, were narrow 1-0 winners over Quanah with Mohamed Hommos scoring the game's only goal.

Cairo giants Al Ahli won a third successive league match under new Portuguese coach Manuel Jose, beating bottom placed Koroum 2-0 in Alexandria.

Al Ahli move up two places to fifth, but are 10 points behind arch-rivals Zamalek.

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NIGERIA - Champions Enyimba lost their opening game of the new season on Saturday, conceding a goal after just six seconds before going down 2-0 to Shooting Stars in Ibadan.

Nigerian international Seyi Ogunsaya scored almost straight from the kick off and Lukuman Ijaya got the second goal in a surprise reversal for Enyimba, who last weekend won the African Super Cup.

Julius Berger, who were beaten finalists in last year's African Cup Winners' Cup, scored a 2-0 win in their opening premier league match at home to Wikki Tourists.

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CAMEROON - Champions Cotonsport made an indifferent start to the new season, held to a goalless draw away against promoted Kadji Sports Academy in Douala.

The weekend marked a new format for the 18-club Cameroonian championship, split into two pools for the first round. Cotonsport are playing in pool A.

Only Canon Yaounde, Racing Bafoussam and Union Douala, who are all in pool B, won at the weekend.

Canon's 2-0 win over Bamboutos included a goal by Marcus Mokake, last season's Footballer of the Year whose proposed move to Sedan in France in January fell through.

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IVORY COAST - Traditional front runners ASEC Abidjan and Africa Sports both won their second matches of the season.

Defending champions ASEC won 2-0 away at AS Denguele while Africa Sports beat Daloa 1-0.

Satellite have also won two out of two, their second success coming with a 1-0 away win at FC Man.

The biggest winners were Stade Abidjan, 4-1 over CO Korhogo.

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SENEGAL - Diaraf Dakar had their lead in the Senegal first division cut to two points after losing 2-1 to Casa Sports in Ziguinchor.

Casa Sports came from behind to win with goals from Matar Baby and Joseph Bassene.

AS Douanes are second in the standings on 20 points after beating army club ASFA 3-0 away on Saturday.

AS Ndiambour also made up ground on the leaders and are third on 19 points after wining 2-1 at US Rail.

Champions Jeanne d'Arc were also winners with Lamine Diarra scoring the only goal of their 1-0 away win over US Goree.

Jeanne d'Arc are five points off the lead in sixth place.

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ANGOLA - Champions AS Aviacao continued their unbeaten start to the Girabola season with a 3-0 win over Sporting Cabinda in Luanda on Sunday.

The airline club are one of four teams sharing the lead on seven points after just three rounds.

Petro Atletico, who beat Sonangol Namibe 2-0, are second behind ASA on goal difference.

Sagrada Esperanca and InterClube are the other two sides who also have seven points.

Sagrada Esperanca were 2-0 home winners over Petro Humabo and InterClube won 1-0 away at Academica Lobito.

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