Brazzaville Erupts After Clinical Home Victory
The roar inside President Alphonse Massamba-Débat Stadium carried far across Brazzaville as AS Otohô dismantled Algeria’s CR Belouizdad 4-1, reviving local pride and their Confederation Cup campaign with a polished, purposeful performance.
- Brazzaville Erupts After Clinical Home Victory
- Early Scare, Then Total Control
- Fifteen Minutes of Pure Firepower
- Second-Half Assurance Seals the Night
- Group C Momentum Shifts Toward Otohô
- Leadership, Tactics and Standout Moments
- Belouizdad Left Searching for Answers
- Focus Turns to Tanzanian Trip
- Boost for Fans and Local Economy
- Belief Returns to Congolese Football
Saturday 29 November 2025 will be remembered for the speed at which the Congolese champions turned frustration into celebration, only seven days after a stoppage-time defeat in Johannesburg against newcomers Stellenbosch FC.
Early Scare, Then Total Control
Thousands of supporters watched a match that began nervously but tilted decisively once Geordy Ndecket rose highest at the far post to guide a firm header beyond the visiting goalkeeper in the twelfth minute.
Belouizdad’s only real threat had come three minutes earlier, a sharp chance on nine minutes that whistled wide, but that miss merely prefaced an onslaught the Algerian outfit could neither read nor repel.
Fifteen Minutes of Pure Firepower
When Bandiougou Diallo doubled the advantage with a thunderous strike under the cross-bar in the twenty-sixth minute, supplied unselfishly by Wilfried Nkaya, the home bench jumped as one, sensing the contest might already be slipping away from their guests.
Three minutes later the stadium erupted again, Gosim Elenga unleashing a spectacular long-range effort that arrowed into the top corner, sealing a three-goal cushion before the half-hour mark and effectively ending the suspense.
Second-Half Assurance Seals the Night
Halftime arrived with Brazzaville voices already rehearsing victory songs, yet many observers whispered that focus would still be crucial, because continental football has a habit of punishing the smallest lapse when goal difference decides tight groups.
The message appeared to land, for twenty minutes after the restart Ravelli Obembi burst through a fractured defence and pushed the score to 4-0, extinguishing any faint Algerian belief of a miraculous turnaround.
Belouizdad eventually found consolation from the penalty spot as Abderrahmane Meziane converted late on, a precise finish that trimmed the margin but never threatened the outcome or the buoyant atmosphere swirling around the terraces.
Group C Momentum Shifts Toward Otohô
Full time brought embraces, selfies and a collective exhale from supporters who had feared a second straight setback would put the quarter-final dream in serious jeopardy.
Instead, the Group C standings now promise far happier possibilities: AS Otohô, once last, can reasonably target at least second place after two matchdays, a position that secures passage to the coveted knockout phase.
The transformation feels even more remarkable given domestic football sits in its traditional off-season, leaving players to maintain rhythm almost exclusively through continental competition and intense training sessions.
Leadership, Tactics and Standout Moments
AS Otohô president Maixent Raoul Ominga witnessed his squad deliver proactive football that aligns with the club’s well-known ambition, a point many supporters say reflects ongoing ambition.
On the tactical front, the Congolese side pressed high from the outset, compressing space and forcing hurried clearances that repeatedly surrendered possession, a plan rewarded by three goals in seventeen relentless first-half minutes.
Diallo’s strike, rattling beneath the bar, created one of the evening’s enduring images, while Elenga’s long-distance arrow drew gasps and will surely enter any season highlights reel compiled by the club’s media team.
Belouizdad Left Searching for Answers
Belouizdad struggled to settle after the early storm and, despite sporadic counterattacks, found little joy until the late penalty, their only mark on the scoreboard.
The Algerian side will now reassess ahead of their next fixture, conscious that a single away defeat can quickly derail ambitions in a group stage where momentum swings sharply.
Focus Turns to Tanzanian Trip
For Otohô, attention already turns to 25 January 2026 and a long trip to Tanzania to face Singida Black Stars, a match that could cement their resurgence if the lessons from Johannesburg remain fresh.
The Congolese outfit know that away fixtures often demand patience, compactness and clinical finishing—qualities displayed in Brazzaville but still to be reproduced under different weather, pitch and travel conditions.
Boost for Fans and Local Economy
Supporters, meanwhile, can relish the emphatic margin of victory at this stage, a result that injects fresh optimism into a national football scene hungry for continental headlines.
The wider sporting community also notes how swiftly narratives change: one week ago, Congolese commentators worried about early elimination; today, they discuss pathways to the quarter-finals and the possibility of topping Group C.
Whether that ambition materialises will depend on maintaining the balance seen on Saturday—sturdy defence, rapid transitions and unflinching composure in front of goal—but for now the Brazzaville faithful are entitled to savour a night that showcased the best of AS Otohô.
Beyond the pitch, the victory generated brisk post-match trade for the small food and transport businesses surrounding the stadium, a reminder that successful continental nights can ripple positively through Brazzaville’s everyday economy.
Belief Returns to Congolese Football
As players applauded every stand before disappearing down the tunnel, one sentiment echoed louder than any chant: belief is back, and with belief comes the thrilling possibility of writing a fresh chapter in Congolese club history.
