Egyptian giants Zamalek started their TotalEnergies CAF Champions League 2026/27 campaign on a positive note after beating AS Port of Djibouti 2-1 away from home on Friday.
The five time African champions showed their quality early in the first preliminary round tie. Mohamed Shehata gave Zamalek the lead after just five minutes.
The Cairo club then doubled their advantage before half time. Chico Banza found the net in the 37th minute to put Zamalek 2-0 ahead.
AS Port refused to give up after the break. The Djibouti side pulled a goal back and kept the tie within reach ahead of the second leg.
However, Zamalek held on to secure an important away victory. As a result, they will return to Egypt with a one goal advantage as they continue their push for another continental title.
Al Swehly and JS Saoura Also Claim First Leg Wins
Elsewhere, Libya’s Al Swehly enjoyed a winning start to their continental campaign. They defeated Zanzibar’s KVZ 1 0 on Friday.
The result marked an important moment for Al Swehly as they began their CAF Champions League journey with a narrow victory.
Algerian club JS Saoura also recorded a 1-0 win. They edged Guinea’s Horoya in another tightly contested first leg.
The opening results showed how closely matched several teams could be in this stage of the competition. Importantly, none of Friday’s winners built a commanding advantage before the return fixtures.
The first preliminary round first legs will take place from September 4 to 6. Meanwhile, the return matches are scheduled for September 11 to 13.
A total of 61 clubs entered this season’s Champions League. However, defending champions Mamelodi Sundowns, Espérance de Tunis and RS Berkane received byes into the second preliminary round.
Zamalek will now look to complete the job in the return leg. Their 2-1 victory gives them a useful advantage, but AS Port have already shown they can cause problems.
The focus now turns to the second legs, with the clubs aiming to secure their places in the next stage of the CAF Champions League.
Friday’s Results
Al Swehly of Libya 1-0 KVZ of Zanzibar
AS Port of Djibouti 1-2 Zamalek of Egypt
JS Saoura of Algeria 1-0 Horoya of Guinea
