CAF Champions League: Nigeria’s Enyimba well up on Mfon Udoh hat-trick

Mfon Udoh's hat-trick powered Enyimba to a domineering 3-0 win over Etoile Sahel on Sunday in the first leg of their African Champions League last-16 encounter.

Mfon Udoh scored a hat-trick as Enyimba of Nigeria trounced Etoile Sahel of Tunisia 3-0 Sunday in a high-profile African Champions League last 16 first leg.

The treble raised the goal tally of the 24-year-old sharpshooter to seven from three African home games this season.

He bagged doubles against Vipers of Uganda in the preliminary round and against Vital’O of Burundi in the round of 32.

Leading 2016 Champions League scorer Udoh struck once in the first half and twice in the second half in a temporary home in Port Harcourt while their Aba fortress is being renovated.

Victory put twice African champions Enyimba on the brink of qualifying for the lucrative group phase of the premier African club competition.

Etoile host the return match on April 19 or 20 in Mediterranean resort city Sousse, needing to score three unanswered goals just to force a penalty shootout.

The Tunisian side must try to wipe out the large deficit without Ghazi Abderrazak, who was red-carded in the second half after twice being cautioned.

While an Enyimba win was predictable, the winning margin was wider than expected against the only team to win all five Confederation of African Football (CAF) club competitions.

Etoile, who lifted the second-tier CAF Confederation Cup trophy last year, are renowned for defensive strength and an ability to snatch away goals.

Kule Mbombo scored in stoppage time to give 2014 Champions League runners-up Vita Club of DR Congo a 1-0 home win over Mamelodi Sundowns of South Africa.

He pounced on a rebound after Uganda goalkeeper Denis Onyango parried a shot from impressive Ghanaian Bernard Morrison.

It was the third single-goal CAF victory for Vita Club over Sundowns in the Congolese capital and they drew and lost narrowly on previous visits to South Africa.

Success for Vita Club came a day after fellow Congolese side and Champions League title-holders TP Mazembe lost 2-0 away to Wydad Casablanca of Morocco.

Egyptian challengers earned satisfactory results with eight-time champions Al Ahly holding Young Africans 1-1 in Tanzania, while Zamalek won 2-0 at home to Mouloudia Bejaia of Algeria.

Zesco United of Zambia upset hosts Stade Malien of Mali 3-1 and ASEC Mimosas of Ivory Coast ended a CAF home goal drought by winning 2-0 against Al Ahli Tripoli of Libya.

Al Merrikh of Sudan, semi-finalists last year, came from behind twice at home to draw 2-2 with 2014 champions ES Setif of Algeria.

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