JS Saoura took a narrow advantage into the first leg of their CAF Champions League first-round tie after beating Horoya 1-0 in Oran on Friday.
Oussama Bentaleb scored shortly before half-time to give the Algerian side the lead, with JS Saoura now preparing for the return match in Conakry on 12 September.
The result at Stade Miloud Hadefi leaves JS Saoura in a favourable position, although their slim advantage means the tie remains finely balanced. Horoya will have home support behind them in Guinea as both sides compete for a place in the second qualifying round of the CAF Champions League.
Bentaleb broke the deadlock in the 44th minute. The 24-year-old winger reacted quickest after the ball was cleared to the penalty spot, going past the opposing goalkeeper and the final defender before rolling his finish into an unguarded net.
The move was created in part by an impressive run from 21-year-old Ivorian forward Ashiraf Ojo, who drove forward down the left before helping to unsettle the Horoya defence.
JS Saoura will now have to complete the job in the return fixture. If they progress, Loutfi Boudraa’s team will face the winners of the tie between Al Merreikh and Power Dynamos in the next round.
The Algerian club have not appeared in the CAF Champions League final stages since 2018. Their fellow Algerian representatives MC Alger begin their campaign on Sunday, when they travel to Niger to play ASN Nigelec.
In the CAF Confederation Cup, Korhogo secured a useful 2-2 draw away to Chad’s AS PSI. The Ivorian club recovered from a testing away assignment to leave the tie evenly poised ahead of the return match.
The other matches produced contrasting results. Tunisia’s ES de Zarzis made home advantage count by defeating Senegalese side Diambars 3-1, while Cameroon’s Panthere Sportive du Nde were held to a 1-1 draw by Rwanda’s Rayon Sports in front of their own supporters.
The result in Tunisia gives ES de Zarzis a clear advantage in their tie, with Diambars needing a stronger performance in the second leg to overturn the deficit. Panthere Sportive du Nde, meanwhile, were unable to secure a home win against Rayon Sports and will have to avoid defeat in Rwanda if they are to advance.
JS Saoura’s success was the first-leg highlight for the Algerian clubs in the CAF Champions League, but the one-goal margin means Horoya remain capable of changing the direction of the contest in Conakry. A place in the second preliminary round is therefore still to be decided.