Tusker relegated from CAF Champions’ League after Zamalek loss

Kenyan champions Tusker will now play in the CAF Confederations Cup after costly mistakes saw them suffer a 4-0 loss away at Egyptian giants Zamalek in the return leg of their CAF Champions League second preliminary round in Alexandria on Friday.

The brewers were 2-0 down by the 20th minutes and two more goals within as many minutes in the second period condemned them out of the Champions’ League.

The hosts opened the scoring on 10 minutes through skipper Morsy Fayed, who headed home into an empty net after goalkeeper Patrick Matasi, who was starting for the first time since his return to Tusker, had come out to claim a freekick and dropped it. His attempt to recover the ball ended with him colliding with his own player for Morsy to head home.

In the 18^th minute, Tusker lost possession cheaply in the middle of the pack and the hosts quickly transitioned into attack, the ball being fed out to Ahmed Mostafa whose cross from the right was met by unmarked Seifeddine Jaziri, who finished neatly for Zamalek’s second goal.

Tusker’s best chance of getting themselves back in the game just before the break when Deogratious Ojok curled in a free-kick from distance but it was straight into the keeper’s arms.

Robert Matano’s charges came back better in the second half, with the introduction of John Njuguna giving them life in attack as he had a shot saved by the keeper. He supplied a good chance for Ojok but he curled over.

Zamalek then made a change, team captain Shikabala coming on and it is from his build up that Zamalek scored twice.

He supplied a ball to the edge of the box which keeper Matasi came off the line for and his attempt to skip past Mostafa was futile, the latter simply winning the ball and supplying to Achraf Bencharki who scored into an empty net.

A minite later, Shikabala started a build up which ended up in a cross slapped from the right, again after Tusker lost possession cheaply.

Morsy ran in at the back-post to tap home into an empty net unmarked for his double.

PHOTO/COURTESY