Meanwhile United entered matchday two aiming to recover from their 3-0 opening defeat away to Morocco’s Wydad AC, Maniema came seeking their second consecutive win in Group B.

The Congolese team began their campaign with a comfortable 2-0 victory over Tanzanian side Azam FC. Maniema appeared dominant early on, earning the first corner within three minutes.

Burkina Faso midfielder Clément Pitroipa took the corner, but it was cleared safely by United goalkeeper Kevin Oduor. Five minutes later, United launched their first attack of the game.

A well-placed pass from Enock Machaka found striker Duncan Omalla in a promising position, but the linesman raised the flag for offside before he could shoot. In the 21st minute, Maniema had a great chance, but striker Christian Balako Panzi’s looping shot went over the crossbar.

United nearly broke the deadlock six minutes later when Omalla sprinted forward and dribbled past two Maniema defenders, but his shot missed the goal and failed to trouble goalkeeper Ogundare Detan.

United qualified to represent Kenya in continental football after winning the 2025 FKF Cup, capping a remarkable domestic season that saw them promoted to the FKF Premier League.

At the start of the second half, United looked stronger and almost scored in the 54th minute when Machaka delivered an accurate cross from the right, but forward Michael Karamor just missed connecting.

Maniema scored the only goal in the 66th minute when substitute James Mboma curled a shot from outside the box into the top right corner of the net to silence the United supporters, who had gathered at the stadium to support the debutants.

Wydad secure two wins from two matches

Meanwhile, in another matchday two fixture played on Friday, Wydad secured their second consecutive victory after a 1-0 away win against Azam in Zanzibar, maintaining their position atop the group standings.

Following a goalless first half, Nordin Amrabat broke the deadlock in the 56th minute, scoring the winning goal. The first half featured few clear chances as both teams canceled each other out.

Azam, eager to bounce back after their opening loss, pressed hard and tried to exploit the flanks, but Wydad’s defense remained solid and effectively shielded goalkeeper Yassine Bounou’s backup, limiting Azam to long-range attempts.

This win took Wydad to a perfect six points from two games, reinforcing their status as early favorites in the group.

In Group C, Congolese club AS Otoho d’Oyo shocked CR Belouizdad with a 4-1 home victory. A first-half surge from Jacques Bowamba, Bandiougou Diallo, and Gosim Duvan gave the hosts a commanding lead before Dion Ravelli added a fourth in the 65th minute.

USM Alger earned their second Group A win by narrowly defeating Olympic Club de Safi 1–0 away. Midfielder Zakaria Draoui capitalized on a defensive error to score, giving the Algerian team a crucial boost as they solidified their top position.

On Friday, Egyptian side Al Masry also recorded two wins from two matches with a 3-2 away victory over ZESCO United. The Egyptians opened the scoring within four minutes when Mohamed Hashem converted a brilliant cross for a perfect start.