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Ole Gunnar Solskjaer said Cristiano Ronaldo will not play every game for Manchester United as he looks to manage the forward’s minutes.

Ronaldo got off to a flying start with a brace against Newcastle on his second debut for the club, showing that it could be difficult for Solskjaer to leave him out of his lineup.

But, the Norwegian insisted there will be games Ronaldo will skip as he looks to keep the 36-year-old fresh.

What was said? 

Solskjaer was asked if it is impossible to leave Ronaldo out after his double at Old Trafford on Saturday. 

“The thing with Cristiano is that he looks after himself so much so I know he will recover quickly and he has had a pre-season," the United head coach said. "Of course it’s important that we get everyone up and running and to get him up and running and to give him 90 minutes.

“Of course there is a game on Tuesday (against Young Boys). We will see what we do. But no, it’s not impossible to leave him out. He is 36, Mason [Greenwood] is 19, so it’s the same, I have to manage his minutes, and I have to manage a 36-year-old’s minutes as well.”

Ronaldo makes quick impact 

The Portugal international has been back at the club’s Carrington training base for just a week but his arrival has already forced some United players to raise their standards. 

“The more quality you add to the group and the more healthy competition and leaders who they look up to,” Solskjaer said.

“I think seeing Raphael [Varane] and Cristiano coming it’s raised everyone’s eyebrows because they are winners, they have won everything there is to win and they put demands on themselves which the young boys, the rest of the team, they look at them and think: 'That is how you stay at the top.'

"So it is only going to be good for everyone and there is competition for places which is great for me to see.”

What’s next for Ronaldo and Man Utd? 

The squad fly to Switzerland on Monday ahead of their first Champions League fixture of the season. They play Young Boys on Tuesday night in their opening game of Group F. 

If Ronaldo plays he would equal the all-time Champions League appearance record level set by Iker Casillas of 177 matches.

Further reading

Jose Mourinho saw his Roma side defeat Sassuolo 2-1 on Sunday as the legendary manager took charge of his 1000th career game. 

Roma's win saw Mourinho take his career tally to 638 victories, having drawn 205 and lost 157 of his 1000 games as a manager.

Stephan El Shaarawy scored a dramatic stoppage-time winner in the 92nd minute at Stadio Olimpico to ensure Mourinho was victorious on his landmark outing. 

Mourinho's 1000 games

The 58-year-old began his coaching career in his native Portugal when he briefly took charge of Benfica in 2000, winning six of 11 matches.

Mourinho would also coach Uniao de Leiria before he made his name at Porto, where he won the Champions League and earned the top job at Chelsea.

He would coach the Blues for three seasons before he moved on to Inter, winning the treble in 2009-10 with the Nerazzurri.

From there, Mourinho took over at Real Madrid and then returned to Chelsea in 2013. He would stay in England for his next two jobs, coaching at Manchester United and then at Tottenham.

After he was sacked by Spurs last season, Mourinho returned to Italy and took over at Roma prior to the current campaign. 

A promising start in Italy

Mourinho has managed an encouraging start to life back in Italy, winning all of his first five games with Roma in all competitions.

With three wins from three Serie A matches, Roma sit top of the table, level on points with Napoli and AC Milan.

Further reading

Akwa United pipped CR Belouizdad 1-0 in Uyo on Sunday to begin their Caf Champions League campaign on a winning note.

Friday Ubong’s 88th-minute effort inspired Kennedy Boboye’s Promise Keepers past the North Africans in the keenly contested preliminary round affair at the Godswill Akpabio Stadium.

Having won the Nigeria Professional Football League in the 2020-21 season, Akwa earned one of the tickets to represent the West African country in Africa’s elite club competition.

They did not disappoint as they pegged down their resolute visitors in the first leg at home.

Unbeaten in their last seven games in all competitions, the reigning Algerian Ligue Professionnelle 1 kings travelled to Uyo with the ambition of extending their fine run against Boboye’s side.

Despite putting up a spirited effort, they returned home with heads bowed low as the hosts scored the winner with two minutes left on the clock.

Even at this defeat, Zoran Manojlovic’s Great Chabab would be hoping to turn things around in the second leg slated for September 19 at the Omar Hamadi Stadium, Algiers.

In a chat with Goal after the game, former Nigeria youth international and Akwa United handler Boboye remains optimistic about his side’s chances of progressing despite the slim margin of victory.

“It was a very difficult encounter, and I am happy we got the job done in the closing minutes,” he told Goal.

“We prepared well for CR Belouizdad and my boys really put up a great performance but we were unable not to score more than one goal which would have made the second leg easier.

“Preparations will commence immediately because a tough fixture awaits us in Algeria and all things being equal, we will pick a ticket to the next round.”

Akwa United was crowned as Nigerian champions on the back of their 5-2 victory over MFM on August 1.

That was their first-ever top-flight crown in their 25-year history and it is added to their trophy cabinet which has two FA Cups (2015 and 2017) and the Nigeria Super Cup (2016).
 

CAF CHAMPIONS LEAGUE RESULTS

Fasil Ketema 2-2 Al Hilal
Mogadishu City 0-0 APR
Akwa United 1-0 CR Belouizdad
KMKM 0-2 Al Ittihad
Young Africans 0-1 Rivers United
Akonangui 0-2 Zanaco
Fovu Baham 2-2 Petro Atletico
LPRC Oiler 3-0 Kara

The group stage of the 2021-22 Champions League is set to kick-off on Tuesday with Chelsea beginning their title defense against Zenit.

Juventus meet Malmo in Group H, while Cristiano Ronaldo and Manchester United will be in action at Young Boys in Group F.

However, the biggest clash of Matchday 1 will see Group E rivals Barcelona and Bayern come face-to-face at Camp Nou for the first time since Blaugrana's 2-8 drubbing at the same venue in last season's quarter-finals.

Whereas Carlo Ancelotti's Real Madrid take on Inter in Group D, Dortmund have a trip to Besiktas in Group C and Liverpool are in for a date with AC Milan in Group B.

In Group A, it will be Manchester City vs RB Leipzig and Clube Brugge vs Paris Saint-Germain, who also have Lionel Messi on their side this time around.

Here's how you can watch the 2021-22 Champions League in India.
 

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When does the Champions League 2021-22 group stage start?

The Champions League 2020-21 group stage begins with matches on Tuesday, September 14, and Wednesday, September 15.

There will be a total of six gameweeks in the group stage, with the last series of matches taking place on Tuesday, December 7 and Wednesday, December 8.

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How to watch the 2021-22 Champions League on TV & live stream in India

The Sony Pictures Sports Network (SPSN) has the rights to show UEFA Champions League matches in India.

Matches will also be available to stream via SonyLIV app and website, besides JioTV mobile app, allowing supporters to watch multiple games simultaneously and catch the replay of matches.

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2021-22 Champions League group wise fixtures

Group A

Group A fixtures

*All UEFA Champions League matches may be streamed online on SonyLIV/JioTV.

Group B

Group B fixtures

*All UEFA Champions League matches may be streamed online on SonyLIV/JioTV.

Group C

Group C fixtures

*All UEFA Champions League matches may be streamed online on SonyLIV/JioTV.

Group D

Group D fixtures

*All UEFA Champions League matches may be streamed online on SonyLIV/JioTV.

Group E

Group E fixtures

*All UEFA Champions League matches may be streamed online on SonyLIV/JioTV.

Group F

Group F fixtures

*All UEFA Champions League matches may be streamed online on SonyLIV/JioTV.

Group G

Group G fixtures

*All UEFA Champions League matches may be streamed online on SonyLIV/JioTV.

Group H

Group H fixtures

*All UEFA Champions League matches may be streamed online on SonyLIV/JioTV.

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Further reading: 

Romelu Lukaku has vowed to retire his knee-slide celebration after the Chelsea striker took an ungracious tumble during the Blues' victory over Aston Villa on Saturday.

The Belgian bagged a brace to continue his superb start to his second life at Stamford Bridge, keeping Thomas Tuchel's side firmly in the mix near the Premier League summit.

But the striker's attempt to commemorate his first goal was scuppered when his attempted knee slide fell short, leaving him in a comical heap - and the forward has now stated he will not repeat the feat.

What has been said?

Lukaku took to social media following the match - which saw Chelsea move joint-top of the table to keep their fine form flying across the opening weeks of the season - to issue words on his accident.

"No more sliding on my knees after yesterday’s celebration..." the 28-year-old wrote on Twitter, the morning after the game.

Though he provided no further elaboration, the Belgian's words could be interpreted as a tongue-in-cheek rebuke to his own pratfall, which fortunately came at no expense to both him and his team.

Lukaku follows in Hazard's footsteps

While it remains to be seen whether the attacker will stick to his own vow, he is not the first Chelsea player to claim he will no longer celebrate with the knee slide.

In 2018, then-Blues attacker Eden Hazard confirmed that he would retire his celebration - a trademark of his time at Stamford Bridge - as it had become too painful for him to replicate.

On that occasion, the player delivered an actual message through club channels, complete with scabbed knees, to show why he was stepping back from the move.

The bigger picture

As long as Lukaku's decision to stop the knee slide does not affect his goalscoring form, Thomas Tuchel and the rest of Chelsea are unlikely to care.

The Belgian's homecoming to Stamford Bridge has already far eclipsed a first spell marked more by loan moves elsewhere than success for the Blues.

Next up, Lukaku is expected to be at the forefront of the club's Champions League title defence, which gets underway against Zenit on Tuesday.

Further reading

Some poor defensive work was to blame for Mamelodi Sundowns’ opening goal against Kaizer Chiefs, says former Amakhosi midfielder Siyabonga Nkosi and ex-Downs defender Matthew Booth.

While it was Chiefs who actually enjoyed the better of the chances in Tshwane, it was the home team who made their moments in front of goal count.

It took Masandawana just six minutes to get on the score-sheet as centre-back Grant Kekana popped up at the far post to head home Lyle Lakay’s free-kick.

The simplest of goals saw Kekana easily out-jumping Chiefs defender Austin Dube and then beating goalkeeper Bruce Bvuma from a tight angle. SuperSport TV pundit Nkosi questioned Dube’s positioning at the goal as well as his awareness.

“Try to see the person you are marking. Yes I saw he was on the line - that he was marking zonal. But then one eye has to be on whoever is trying to make a run towards the area that you are protecting, and he [Dube] lost that completely,” the former Bafana Bafana playmaker explained.

“What Kekana did was exploit the fact that he lost sight of him. That’s why [Kekana] was able to head it behind Dube. If you are doing that, your body angle as well, has to open up a bit to be able to attack the ball. Or if you don’t get to the ball, distract him, don’t let him have a good header.

“His reaction, anticipation...I think to sum it up he fell asleep just before, or when the ball was taken."

Fellow analyst Matthew Booth, a former Mamelodi Sundowns defender, wondered whether Chiefs goalkeeper Bvuma should have come and plucked Lakay’s floated delivery out of the sky before it reached Kekana.

“If the ball was whipped in I would understand him not having enough time to set himself. But the ball was floated in, nicely across to his post, giving him time to set," he said.

"It was a very good header from Kekana, but still there should have been more of a reaction. Particularly his right hand, a strong right hand [was what was needed to keep the ball out at the post]."

Mamelodi Sundowns co-head coach Rhulani Mokwena described his side's display in their win over Kaizer Chiefs as a "big performance" on Sunday evening.

Goals from Grant Kekana and Peter Shalulile inspired Masandawana to a 2-0 victory over Amakhosi in a PSL match that was played at Loftus Versfeld Stadium. 

The win took the reigning PSL champions to the top of the league standings and they remain undefeated in the current season with three matches played. 

Mokwena pointed out that they analyzed coach Stuart Baxter's side very well hence they were able to record their second win over Amakhosi this season including last month's MTN8 quarter-final match.

"Not easy. Credit to the entire team, to the technical staff," Mokwena told SuperSport TV.

"A very good team performance, even with the subs coming in you could see the intensity and the willingness to assist the team to win the game. Congratulations to Sundowns, strong, powerful performance.

"We worked a bit on different schemes in preparation for the different flexibility because Stuart Baxter is a top coach. He's watched us. He's prepared very well. We worked hard and the result goes to show," he added.

"Big performance from the players. Big, big performance. And all the teams all over the world have to show discipline and character and intensity and good fight and that's what we did today."

The former Orlando Pirates assistant coach had admitted to "an element of truth" to a disagreement in the club's technical team which includes his fellow coaches Manqoba Mngqithi and Steve Komphela ahead of their clash with Chiefs.

When asked about the disagreement after the game, Mokwena said: "The elephant is out of the room. It's old news. We move. The talking is done on the pitch and I think the players did the talking. Top performance."

Mokwena then praised Sundowns' veteran goalkeeper Denis Onyango, who kept his second successive clean sheet in the league.

"I just have to single out Denis Onyango. Football's a team game but big, big save when it was 1-0 allowed us to have the momentum and go for the kill," he concluded.

"That's why he's one of the best in the world and one of the best on the African continent."

Sundowns are scheduled to face TS Galaxy in a league game at Loftus Versfeld Stadium on September 19.

Kaizer Chiefs head coach Stuart Baxter expressed his disappointment with the goals that his side conceded in their defeat against Mamelodi Sundowns on Sunday.

The Glamour Boys tasted their first defeat of the season in the league when they lost 2-0 to Masandawana in a PSL encounter that was played at Loftus Versfeld Stadium.

Baxter, 68, believes that they conceded the first goal at a time when they were playing well and he felt that was not reflective of the game. 

"I have to say we started the game very well. I think the first 20 minutes we dominated the game completely and as you say during that 20 minutes you have to score," Baxter told SuperSport TV.

"Because we did have good chances. And then as a sort of cold shower came their goal. It was a very poor goal from our side. And it wasn't reflective of the game at all.

"I think we went on the backfoot for 15 minutes and we waited for Sundowns to try and put balls behind our back three and then I think the last 15 minutes we got the game back in the first half.

"So we go in 1-0 down but I think we've had the better share of the play."

Chiefs conceded twice after failing to deal with balls that were played in their area with Grant Kekana opening the scoring with a header from a free-kick, before Peter Shalulile sealed the win after turning home a cross from Neo Maema.

"We came out the second half, we changed the way we're going to press them and suddenly they can't get out and we've got them penned in," he added. 

"And then after 70 minutes, we conceded a goal. I still don't know how we conceded it. It wasn't great play, it was just someone twisting and getting himself to the byline and crossed it and we didn't deal with it.

"And then you've got to start chasing your own tail. And we lose our rhythm. But still, we're not out the game and we miss a penalty."

Chiefs were awarded a late penalty after Rivaldo Coetzee was adjudged to have handled the ball in the box, but Lebogang Manyama failed to convert the resultant spot-kick.

Amakhosi will be looking to return to winning ways when they face Royal AM in a PSL match at FNB Stadium on September 18.

Kenya international Michael Olunga grabbed a brace as Al Duhail SC came from a goal down to beat Al Khor SC 4-1 in their Qatar Stars League opener on Sunday.

It was Khor who took the lead in the fourth minute courtesy of Rafael Vaz but Duhail turned the game in their favour as the towering Harambee Star levelled the scores in the 34th minute, Ismaeel Mohammad then made it 2-1 in the 50th minute before Olunga notched his second from the penalty spot in the 68th minute.

Second-half substitute Khalid Mohammed completed the emphatic win in the 89th minute to silence the home team.

Duhail handed a debut to former Tottenham Hotspur defender Toby Alderweireld, who started in the defence alongside Sultan Al Brake and Hisham Al-Rawi while Olunga was given the honours to lead the attack in the match at Al-Khor SC Stadium.

Going into the fixture, the two teams had met six times since November 2018, with the home team managing two wins, one draw, and losing three.

It was the hosts who started the game on a high note and they took the lead when Vaz reached out to a cross from Gaser Madani and powered a header past Duhail goalkeeper Salah Zakaria.

Duhail, led by former Shakhtar Donetsk coach Luis Castro, who was appointed recently to replace Frenchman Sabri Lamouchi, were stunned by the goal and started to build their play from the back hoping to catch Khor on the counter.

And in the 26th minute, Khor defender Diyab Taha was shown a yellow card after a reckless foul on Olunga and five minutes later, Duhail should have levelled the scores when Ferjani Sassi left his markers with speed after a clever ball from the right, but his weak effort was punched out to a fruitless corner by keeper Baba Gueye.

But in the 34th minute, Duhail moved level, Olunga using his legs to control the cross from Ismaeel Mohammad before sneaking it past Gueye.

Olunga, who managed 19 goals for Duhail in all competitions last season, almost doubled the team’s lead but he failed to react quickly to a loose ball inside the Khor danger zone and it was cleared to safety by defender Mohammed Hilal.

The two teams went into the half-time break tied at 1-1 and after the resumption, it was Duhail who attacked most and they were rewarded when Mohammad turned a cross from Edmilson Junior into the back of the net.

Duhail continued to dominate the game after taking the lead and another combination between Junior and Olunga almost resulted in the third goal in the 60th minute but a quick intervention from Khor defender Mubarak Nayef, who dived to put the ball out for a thrown-in, saved the situation.

Olunga, though, stepped up to convert from the penalty spot after a foul on Junior and he sent keeper Gueye the wrong way for the third goal.

After the goal, Duhail made their first substitution as Khalid Mohammed came in for Ferjani Sassi and three minutes later Rabih Boussafi replaced goal scorer Mohammad while Khor brought on Said Brahmi for Diyab Taha.

It was Khalid who scored the fourth goal after finishing a cross from Junior to hand Duhail maximum points from their first fixture of the season.

Al Khor SC: Baba Gueye, Rafael Vaz, Mubarak Nayef, Mohammed Hilal, Mosaab Abdulmajed Abdullah, Diyab Taha, Gaser Madani, Ismail El Haddad, and Giannis Fetfatzidis.

Subs: Ahmed Hassan Al Mohanadi, Said Brahmi, and Muhammad Zidan.

Al Duhail SC: Salah Moussa Zakaria, Sultan Al Brake, Toby Alderweireld, Bassam Hisham Al-Rawi, Ceara Luiz, Edmilson Junior, Ferjani Sassi, Ismaeel Mohammad, and Michael Olunga.

Subs: Ali Hassan Afif, Mohammed Al Bakri, Karim Boudiaf, Rabih Boussafi, Shehab Ellethy, Assim Madibo, Khalid Mohammed, and Abdelrahman Moustafa.

Uganda Revenue Authority (URA) started their Caf Confederation Cup journey with a 2-1 win over Ethiopia Bunna in the preliminary round on Sunday.

In the match staged at St. Mary's Stadium, Steven Mukwala scored a brace for the hosts before William Solomon Tesfay scored a valuable away goal in the second half.

The Tax Collectors showed they meant business from the first whistle, pushing to get a goal. But they were not going to get it easy as the Ethiopian outfit maintained their discipline and ensured the danger was cleared. 

Shafik Kagimu could have given URA a lead in the 15th minute but shot wide from a good area. Moments later, Mukwala had a massive chance to score but he failed to effectively control the ball.

In the 22nd minute, he made up for his mistake, connecting a Viane Ssekajugo header. The latter was making his debut for the Taxmen and he made it count after setting up Mukwala.

The striker doubled the hosts' advantage with seven minutes left to the break. This time around, he spotted the goalkeeper out of position and curled the ball beyond his reach from 25-yards out.

Bunna ended the first 45 minutes on a high as Tesfay forced Nafian Alionzi in the URA goal to pull off a decent save. The rebound fell kindly to Haile Gebrekirstos who failed to hit the target.

Ten minutes after the pause, Bunna scored the vital away goal after taking advantage of poor marking to get into the danger zone before calmly slotting the ball past the custodian.

Patrick Mbowa had an opportunity to score URA's third with 20 minutes to go, but he failed to hit the target. 

They could have paid for their miss in the 81st minute when Yalew Endale left his marker for dead but failed to match his effort with his finish.

The two teams will meet again on September 18 at Bahir Dar Stadium for the second leg with the meeting finely balanced.

URA XI: Alionzi Nafian Legason, Ashraf Mandela, Derrick Ndhiro, Hudu Mulikyi, Najib Fesali, Patrick Paul Mbowa, Saidi Kyeyune, Shafik Kuchi Kagimu, Cromwel Rwothomio, Steven Mukwala, Viane Ssekajugo

Bunna XI: Abel Mamo, Abebe Tilahun, Wondeminhe Dereji, Haile Gebretinsae, Asrat Tonjo, Solomon Tefesse, Amanuel Gamo, William Solomon Tesfay, Ahmed Abubeker, Yalem Endale, Mekonen Mikeyas.

Marseille manager Jorge Sampaoli said he was not surprised by Bamba Dieng’s goalscoring heroics that helped them beat Monaco 2-0 in Saturday’s Ligue 1 encounter.

Dieng marked his first start of the season by opening his goal account for the visitors at the Stade Louis II in the 37th minute and he later doubled their lead after connecting with Morocco’s Amine Harit pass on the hour-mark.

The 21-year-old, who joined Marseille from Senegalese club Diambars in October 2020, had chances to increase his tally but he was twice denied by the post in the encounter.

In his assessment, Sampaoli disclosed his confidence in the Senegal forward’s abilities and he singled out his work ethic for praise.

"No, I wasn't surprised, otherwise I wouldn't have put him on,” the Argentine manager said, per MaxiFoot.

“I put him on because I thought he might hurt the opponent. He has a lot of explosiveness and a good quality of shot. He is a player with great potential that the club has.

"It's a strategy we wanted to put in place compared to Bamba, because he is a deep player and we knew that was Monaco's concern.

“We wanted to put him on the left so that he returned on his right foot, and his performance proves us right. I'm happy for this player, because he works a lot and doesn't speak.

“He scored two goals, but also had two strikes on the post, so he could have even more. We are happy for him and for the team.”

Dieng, on his part, expressed satisfaction with the performance and he lauded Sampaoli for his encouragement.

"I am very happy with the performance. I thank the team and the coach also for trusting me. I knew I could do better and I was told to calm down. I did it and it's back,” Dieng said.

Marseille are third on the Ligue 1 table with 10 points after four matches, five points behind leaders PSG.

They face Rennes next in the league on September 19 after Thursday’s Uefa Europa League trip to Lokomotiv Moscow.

Liverpool midfielder Harvey Elliott had to be stretchered from the field during the Reds' Premier League clash with Leeds United after suffering a serious injury following a tackle from Pascal Struijk.

The England youth international was brought down just shy of the hour mark at Elland Road and required extensive medical attention from staff on the scene before he was removed from the pitch.

Struijk was dismissed with a straight red card by referee Craig Pawson.

What happened?

With Liverpool leading 2-0 in West Yorkshire thanks to goals either side of half-time from Mohamed Salah - who brought up a century of Premier League strikes - and Fabinho, Elliott set off down the right flank in pursuit of a long ball.

Leeds defender Struijk tracked him down close to the halfway mark and came in with a low flying challenge that left the Reds starlet on the ground.

Players from both sides waved on medical staff from the technical areas directly in front of the incident, near coaches Jurgen Klopp and Marcelo Bielsa, before referee Pawson had even brought play to a halt.

Medics continued to attend to Elliott while players from both sides mingled, before Pawson dismissed Struijk for his challenge - with television broadcasts studiously avoiding any replay of the incident.

Teenager's superb start brought to halt

At first glance, Elliott's injury is unlikely to allow him to return to action any time soon, and the 18-year-old may well face the prospect of no football until 2022 at the earliest now.

It is a sharp blow for both player and club, coming only a matter of weeks after the teenager had established himself as a key part of Klopp's plans for the upcoming campaign.

Having spent last term on loan with Blackburn Rovers to gain more match experience, Harvey had featured in all four of Liverpool's top-flight games this season, including the trip to Leeds.

During that time, his performances have caught the eye, earning approval for his turns alongside more experienced faces in the Reds' squad - but now, he likely faces a long road back to first-team action.

Further reading

Nigerian side Rivers United emerged 1-0 victors against Tanzanian giants Yanga SC in the first leg of their Caf Champions League preliminary round encounter played at the Benjamin Mkapa Stadium on Sunday.
 
Moses Omodumuke scored for United to condemn Timu ya Wananchi to a home loss as they returned to the continental stage for the first time since they were eliminated by Zesco United in 2019.

Rivers United saw their first chance wasted in the fourth minute when Nelson Esor failed to beat Yanga's goalkeeper Diarra Djigui from close range.

Another chance for the Nigerian side came in the 22nd minute when Eyinnaya Kazie outmanoeuvred the Yanga defenders and created some shooting space inside the box but ended up hitting the side netting.

United could have conceded in the 25th minute but Yanga's Yacouba Sogne failed to plant the ball into an almost empty net when goalkeeper Victor Sochima failed to clear the danger from his area.

A combination between Omodumuke and Esor almost resulted in the opener but the former could not hit the target when he was set through on goal with a final pass by the day's captain in the 39th minute.

The visitors, who were dominant especially after the half-time break, found the back of the net in the 51st minute when Omodumuke was clinical enough to beat Yanga's Djigui after failing to do so on a number of occasions in the first half.

The Nigerian side made a change a minute past the hour mark when Ishaq Kayode replaced Auwalu Ali as they put more pressure on Timu ya Wananchi looking for a second goal.

United's 75th-minute counter-attack, where they had three players against Yanga's one, failed to yield a positive result as Esor did not manage to beat the rival goalkeeper once again.

Yanga attacked and in the 84th minute almost registered an equaliser, but Sochima made a great save with his face to deny the home side from close range.

United stood firm in the remaining minutes to ensure they picked up a win and a crucial away goal in the first leg before hosting the Tanzanian giants on September 19.

Meanwhile, in Zanzibar, Egypt's Al Ittihad Sports Club managed to down KMKM FC 2-0 courtesy of goals from Moad Essa and Rabie El Shady.

Fasil Kenema FC and Al Hilal of Sudan produced a 2-2 draw in their respective Champions League encounter in Ethiopia. The home side scored through the efforts of Bereket Desta and Okiki Afolabi as the visitors ensured they denied the rivals a win after finding the back of the net through Mohamed Abdelrahman and Yassir Mozamil.

Finally, Mogadishu City held Rwandan giants APR to a goalless draw in a game that was played in Djibouti.

Mamelodi Sundowns made the most of their chances to secure a hard-fought 2-0 win against Kaizer Chiefs in a PSL match at the Loftus Versfeld Stadium on Sunday evening.

Grant Kekana gave the Brazilians an early lead before Peter Shalulile made the points safe with his second-half effort.

The result would be a particularly frustrating one for Amakhosi coach Stuart Baxter as it was arguably his side who enjoyed more of the chances and the game was indeed closer than the scoreline suggests – there was also a late penalty miss for the visitors.

Chiefs started the game brightly and were close to scoring in the sixth minute when Keagan Dolly connected with a volley in the box, but his less favoured right-foot was unable to keep the ball under the crossbar.

The miss was made all the worse when Sundowns took the lead just three minutes later, somewhat against the run of play. The goal was a soft one from Chiefs’ perspective as Kekana was afforded space at the back-post where he out-jumped Austin Dube to head home a free-kick from Lyle Lakay.

While Amakhosi responded positively to the setback as they tried to get back on the front foot, it was Sundowns who had the next chance on goal when Shalulile’s header flashed across the goal and wide of the far post.

As the game opened up nicely, Chiefs had chances with Samir Nurkovic, who headed straight at Denis Onyango, and Dolly, who beat a couple of defenders before firing a low shot just wide from the edge of the area.

Nurkovic then missed a golden opportunity to level the scores in the 28th minute when, on the stretch, he headed over an empty net after Onyango had misjudged Dolly’s cross to the back post.

The Serbian striker also spurned a decent chance just before the interval when he failed to connect with a volley on the angle, following a clever flick at the back-post from Khama Billiat.

The Soweto side continued to create chances after the restart and looked set to equalise in the 57th minute when Daniel Cardoso flicked Billiat’s free-kick towards the back-post, where Sifiso Hlanti came storming in with a header only for Onyango to make a brilliant reflex save.

Once more the Pretoria team were to punish the Glamour Boys for not being more clinical as they doubled the scoreline in the 63rd minute with an emphatic volley from Shalulile after Neo Maema had wriggled free down the left before crossing.

With 10 minutes to go, Chiefs were gifted the chance to pull one back when a penalty was awarded to them after Cole Alexander’s cross struck Rivaldo Coetzee’s arm.

But, highlighting their struggles in front of goal on the day, substitute Lebogang Manyama failed to score as his spot-kick crashed into the woodwork.

Chiefs pressed hard for a goal in the closing 10 minutes but never looked likely to break down a well organized Downs defence.