Aigle Noir CS suffered a 2-0 home defeat to Sudanese giants Al Hilal Omdurman on Saturday, leaving the Burundian champions with a steep challenge in the second leg of their CAF Champions League first preliminary-round tie.
Playing at Stade Intwari, Aigle Noir fell behind before halftime and conceded again after the break as Al Hilal secured a valuable advantage ahead of the return fixture.
Yasser Mozamil broke the deadlock in the 26th minute, giving the visitors a 1-0 lead at halftime. Ahmed Salem doubled Al Hilal’s advantage in the 61st minute, according to CAF’s official match report and match records.
The result puts Al Hilal firmly in control of the tie. CAF described the Sudanese side’s victory as a strong start to its campaign, with the return legs of the first preliminary round scheduled for Sept. 11-13.
For Aigle Noir, the task now is straightforward but demanding: overturn a two-goal deficit away from home to keep their Champions League campaign alive.
The Burundian side had opportunities to respond but could not find the breakthrough against an experienced Al Hilal team. The Sudanese club, which reached the quarterfinals of the previous Champions League campaign, leaves Bujumbura with a significant advantage.
Aigle Noir will therefore need a dramatically improved attacking performance in the second leg if it is to turn the tie around and advance to the second preliminary round.
