Otohô’s Home Roar Lights Up Brazzaville
The Congolese champions needed a strong response after their narrow first-leg defeat in Johannesburg, and they delivered it in front of an enthusiastic crowd at the Stade Président Alphonse Massamba-Débat, sweeping Algeria’s CR Belouizdad aside 4-1 in the CAF Confederation Cup.
Saturday’s second-round match, played in mid-season humid heat despite the national league break, marked Otohô’s first continental home appearance since March and offered supporters starved of live action a wave of goals, energy, and optimism that resonated through Brazzaville’s bustling avenues.
Belouizdad, Algeria’s four-time champions, arrived confident after holding Singida Black Stars in the first round, but the visitors managed only a brief spell of pressure before being overwhelmed by Otohô’s aggressive midfield pressing and intelligent wing rotations orchestrated by coach Fernando da Cruz.
Clinical Finishing Defines Dominant First Half
The breakthrough came in the 12th minute when Geordy Ndecket met Guy Mbenza’s inswinging corner with a firm header that flew past goalkeeper Alexis Guendouz, triggering drummers in the north stand and sending red-blue smoke swirling over the capital’s skyline.
Midfielder Bandiougou Diallo doubled the advantage in the 26th minute, crashing a rising strike under the bar after Wilfried Nkaya intercepted a loose pass high up the pitch, a testament to the high-pressing drills repeated all week at the Owando training base.
Three minutes later, winger Gosim Elenga guided a spectacular 30-meter strike into the top corner, prompting a declaration that “a tornado had hit Brazzaville.” The stunned Algerians held an impromptu meeting but still seemed shaken at halftime.
Otohô was not content to sit back. Shortly after the restart, full-back Anicet Elongo overlapped down the left before pulling back a low cross for Ravelli Obembi to tap home in the 65th minute, sealing what many fans already considered a near-perfect performance.
Coaches and Players Reflect on Crucial Victory
Diallo credited the technical staff for “video sessions that showed exactly where Belouizdad left space between the lines.” He added that the team wanted to reward the home supporters who often travel 400 kilometers from Oyo just to attend continental nights.
Coach da Cruz, pragmatic despite the margin, reminded everyone that “nothing is secured after two matches” and highlighted the conditioning work overseen by Portuguese fitness coach Paulo Matias, who joined the club this season as part of a deal with the Ministry of Sports to enhance performance science.
The Belouizdad official accepted the defeat gracefully, citing humidity and travel logistics but insisting his team would bounce back in Algiers. “Otohô played with intensity and good decision-making,” he said, before praising the Brazzaville crowd for what he called “respectful passion.”
It was noted that this result is part of a broader resurgence of national clubs in CAF competitions, following the Diables Noirs’ run in 2023. Calls were made to synchronize league calendars with continental dates to maintain momentum in future seasons.
Qualification Calculations and the Upcoming Tanzanian Challenge
Group C now sees Stellenbosch with four points, Otohô and Belouizdad tied with three, while Singida has one. The Congolese team, with a plus-three goal difference, holds the provisional second place pending official confirmation of match statistics by CAF.
Two clubs qualify, and history shows that nine points are usually enough to secure a quarter-final ticket. Otohô therefore aims for at least two wins in their four remaining matches, a calculation the technical staff openly discussed during Monday’s recovery session.
The third-round encounter with Singida Black Stars on January 25th in Dar es Salaam will test travel logistics, as commercial flights from Brazzaville require layovers via Addis Ababa or Nairobi. Club officials are seeking charter flight support from sponsors and the Civil Aviation Authority.
Captain Chardon Mabiala, suspended for the Belouizdad match, is expected to return in Tanzania. The central defender said he feels “recharged and ready to organize the defense” against a Singida attack led by Burundian striker Jules Ulimwengu.
Analysts argue that maintaining rhythm during Congo’s domestic break will be the hidden challenge. Fitness coach Matias has arranged closed-door friendlies against academy clubs in Pointe-Noire, while nutritionists from the National High-Performance Center have adapted protein-rich cassava meal plans.
If Otohô reaches the knockout stage in March, it would mark only the second time a Congolese team has done so since 2012, bolstering the broader sports diplomacy that President Denis Sassou Nguesso promotes in his speeches on youth empowerment and international visibility for the republic’s positive image.