PHOTOS: CAF CL: Tensions flare as 10-man Al Hilal beat MC Alger in Kigali

Tensions were very high at Amahoro Stadium, Kigali, after Sudanese powerhouse Al Hilal SC beat MC Alger 2-1 on Friday, November 21, to claim their first three points of the CAF Champions League group stage this season. Police had to intervene as players from both clubs got involved in heated post-match altercations before heading to the tunnel at fulltime. Al Hilal played the last 10 minutes with a man down after midfielder Ahmed Al Hassan was sent off for a second bookable offense in the 87th minute. However, the Sudanese club’s players held on to win what was their first competitive match since moving to their new temporary home ground, Amahoro Stadium, in Kigali in October. ALSO READ: Amahoro Stadium awaits Mamelodi Sundowns, MC Alger Both teams had failed to open the scoring until Al Hilal captain Abdelrazig Omer Yagoub broke the deadlock to fire his team ahead before halftime, thanks to a fine assist from Jean Claude Girumugisha. The Burundian winger emained a nightmare for MC Alger defense until he was replaced late in the second half. Al Hilal’s lead, however, didn’t take long as Rhulani Mokwena's side equalized inside eight minutes of second half through an own goal from defender Mustafa Karshom after the visitors applied high pressing. As MC Alger pushed for the winning goal, Roumanian coach Laurentiu Reghecampf made clever substitution when he brought on Mohamed Abdelrahman immediately scored the match winner in the 75th minute, just seconds after coming off the bench, converting Steven Ebuela’s assist in the penalty box. Al Hilal now lead Group C with three points and they may keep or throw the top spot depending on the results from Saturday’s clash between Mamelodi Sundowns and DR Congo’s St Eloi Lupopo at Loftus Versfeld Stadium in Pretoria, South Africa. This was the first CAF Champions League group stage hosted in Kigali and Al Hilal made the best out of the home advantage thanks to the support from the home crowd which was dominated by Sudanese nationals living in Rwanda and Rwandans. ALSO READ: Amahoro Stadium to host CAF Champions League group stage matches The Sudanese club will now shift focus to their first match in Rwanda Premier League when they host league leaders Police FC at Amahoro Stadium on Wednesday, November 26 at 6PM. The club, alongside Al Merreikh, had their request to play in the Rwandan league pending approval until the Confederation of African Football (CAF) gave them a green light to participate in the league on November 19.

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PHOTOS: CAF CL: Tensions flare as 10-man Al Hilal beat MC Alger in Kigali