Raja Club Athletic are through to the quarter finals of the TotalEnergies CAF Champions League after completing the double over South African debutants AmaZulu, beating them 2-0 at their turf in Durban on Friday.
Having beaten them 1-0 when they met in the first leg in Casablanca, Raja made it a home and away sweep with goals in either half from the Adadad duo of Hamid and Illias.
The victory in South Africa takes Raja to 12 points with one match to go while AmaZulu’s fairytale run now hangs in the balance as they remain third with six points.
Hamid got the Green Eagles ahead after six minutes when he beautifully exchanged passes with Mohsine Moutaouali. The skipper sent him through on goal with a delightful chip behind the defense and Hamid did justice to the pass with another beautiful lob over the advancing keeper.
The Algerian visitors had another chance when the AmaZulu keeper spilled a cross from Moutaouali, the ball falling on Marouane Hadhoudi’s path. However, the cenyral defender clipped the ball over the bar.
Mohamed Nahiri lined up next with a chance for the visitors, this time his freekick from 30 yards out attracting a brilliant save from the keeper.
In the second half, Raja kept their attack and keeper Veli Mothwa made another brilliant save in the 73rd minute, this time denying Hamid an opportunity for a brace with a corner off a cross from the left.
The Algerians however finally got their second in the 77th minute when Illias doubled their lead with a well taken finish inside the box after being played through by Jamal Harkass’s header from a corner.
AmaZulu attempted to mount a comeback in the last 10 minutes of the game, and the closest they came was off a brilliant Bongi Ntuli header off a corner, but the substitute’s effort was parried away by the keeper.
Source: CAF