Nigeria`s Julius Berger beat Sundowns of South Africa (26.08.2001)
ABEOKUTA,
Julius Berger beat Mamelodi Sundowns of South Africa in an African Champions League match on Saturday to revive hopes of becoming the first Nigerian team to win the continent`s top clubs competition.
Two goals from Uche Okereke, one in either half of this Group A match, ensured Berger picked up their first points at the expense of the team from Pretoria.
Both teams began the game brightly with the home side more attack-minded.
Okereke, the top scorer in the Nigerian league last season, got on the score sheet as early as the ninth minute, doing well to control a center on top of Sundowns box before shooting beyond the goalkeeper for the opening goal.
The goal forced the South Africans out of their defensive shell with Zambian international Gift Kampapa and the big Cameroonian Alain Amougou coming close to drawing level.
<br />
Amougou came close to finding the back of the net in the 41st minute but his effort from point-blank range was parried by goalkeeper Ejiogu back into his path.
A second attempt was scrambled away by the Berger `keeper for a corner kick.
Shortly afterwards, Ejiogu was forced to go off, through injury, and was replaced by substitute goalkeeper Uche Akubuike.
In the 80th minute, Akubuike denied the experienced international Daniel Madau when he appeared set to score, tipping over a close range header.
He then saved a late penalty and in the dying seconds of the encounter he dived on the feet of the goal-bound South African striker.
Berger have now moved to the top of the group with three points from two matches ahead of TP Mazembe of the Democratic Republic of Congo, who beat them by a lone goal two weeks ago.
