JS Kabylie got their 2019/2020 CAF Champions League group stage campaign to a winning start when they beat AS Vita 1-0 on Friday.
The hosts started the game strongly and conjured a decent chance in the fourth minute as they attacked through the left channel, but Rida Bensayah shot wide of the near post.
Despite Kabylie controlling the possession stakes and dominating the flow of the game, the next chance on goal went the way of Vita in the 19th minute when a right-sided cross from Ducapel Moloko was met by Yannick Bangala but his header went inches over the target.
Kabylie came close to taking the lead just before the half-hour mark when a corner was worked into the Vita box which Bilal Tizi Bouali met, but his close-range header was superbly saved by Nelson Lukong.
The Black Dolphins should have scored in the 41st minute when Fiston Kayala broke the off-side trap but failed to beat Oussama Benhot in a one-on-one.
The half ended 0-0.
Vita piled the pressure on the Lions of Djurdjura after the interval with some dangerous set-pieces in the Kabylie’s third, but it was the host who opened the scoring.
In the 66th minute, Kabylie took the lead when Rezki Hamroune drove down the right flank and played the ball to Toufik Addadi in space and he made no mistake with a clinical finish from 16-yards out, 1-0.
Vita nearly got an equalizer in the 78th minute when Wango Mbabu beat Benhot to the ball but ended up directing his shot inches wide of the upright.
The Black Dolphins were presented with another chance in the 81st minute, but Djuma Shabani managed to head over from close range.
Lukong came to Vita’s rescue in the 88th minute, as he pulled off a fine reaction stop to deny Rodgers from six-yards out.
Kabylie failed to bypass the stubborn Vita defence in the remaining stages for the second goal, with Harmoune being denied by Lukong in stoppage time.
Here is how JS Kabylie lined up;
Oussama Benbot (GK), Amir Belaili, Nabil Saadou (C), Bilal Tizi Bouali, Walid Bencherifa, Mohamed Benchaira, Abdessamad Bounoua, Toufik Addadi, Rida Bensayah, Rezki Hamroune, Abdelouahid Belgherbi
