One of Nigeria’s two representatives in this year’s CAF Champions League; MFM FC were handed a proper footballing lesson on Saturday night by foremost Algerian side Mouloudia Club D’Alger who thrashed the modest Church-owned club 6-0.
MFM had won the first leg match of this Champions League first round fixture 2-1 in Lagos but many have in fairness expected a bashing in the second leg, going by the antecedent of the Algerians who spanked their opponents in the last round, AS Otoho 9-0 in Algiers.
Whatever hopes MFM had of performing a miracle in Algiers was swiftly extinguished inside the opening minute when Sofiane Bendebka gave the hosts the lead before Walid Derardja doubled the advantage after ten minutes.
Tournament’s top scorer Hicham Nekkache scored the first of his brace on twenty minutes after goalkeeper Folarin Abayomi’s poor clearance fell to him outside the box. Winger Amir Karaoui then took the game beyond the visitors on the half-hour mark with a deflected effort from just inside the box.
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The tie was well and truly over by half time as the hosts exhibited the gulf in class between both sides. MC Alger were founded in 1921 compared to their opponents who are barely ten years old.
Fidelis Ilechukwu’s men stayed compact in the second half but that was not enough to prevent them from conceding further. Nekkache netted his brace when he stabbed home a cross from two yards out before Amada Ibrahim Samuel wrapped the game with a sensational effort from 35 yards in stoppage time.
The Algerians will join fifteen other clubs in the group stage of the Champions League while MFM have a lifeline in the final qualification round of the Confederation Cup.
