TP Mazembe were held to a 1-1 draw by Club Africain in the first leg of the CAF Champions League second preliminary round, with Josué Kazema on target and Alla Kanté scoring the equaliser.
In front of around 15,000 spectators at Kamalondo, TP Mazembe were held to a 1-1 draw by Club Africain of Tunis in the first leg of the CAF Champions League second preliminary round, reports CAF Online. The scoreline leaves the Ravens under pressure ahead of the return leg.
Striker Josué Kazema had given his side the lead with a header in the 38th minute. Club Africain responded a minute later: forward-midfielder Alla Kanté equalised with a powerful strike from 25 metres, according to Le Temps and Mosaique FM.
A goal disallowed in the 89th minute
The story turned in the 89th minute. Ndongala thought he had scored the winner for TP Mazembe, but Mauritanian international referee Dahane Beida ruled the goal out for a prior handball by Fofana, according to Radio Okapi. The five-time winners of the competition now find themselves under heavy pressure before the trip to Tunis.
For the Tunisians, the evening had started badly: defender Houssem Ben Ali left the pitch injured as early as the 7th minute, replaced by Ghassen Mahersi, Le Temps reports. Despite that early change, Club Africain, coached by Maher Kanzari, equalised in the minute after Kazema’s opener.
Objects reported in the tunnel
Off the pitch, the Tunisian staff reported the discovery of suspicious objects in the tunnel leading to the pitch. The report led to accusations of witchcraft, according to Afrik-Foot. The match commissioner was formally informed of the incident in the stadium corridor, the same outlet reports.
These claims come from the Club Africain camp and should be treated with caution: the report does not specify the nature of the objects found and establishes no proven practice.
Next stop Radès
After a first leg played in a red-hot atmosphere in Lubumbashi, everything remains open. The return leg is scheduled for Sunday 25 October 2026 at 18:00 at the Hammadi Agrebi Stadium in Radès, according to La Presse de Tunis.
TP Mazembe, five-time winners of the competition, will travel to Tunisia under heavy pressure after a draw that failed to give them the advantage.