Jadida beat Guinea-Bissau's Benfica 10-0 in record Champions League win

Morocco's Wydad Casablanca, the reigning champions of Africa, have a bye into the next round.

Difaa el Jadida of Morocco thrashed Benfica of Guinea-Bissau 10-0 at home on Saturday to achieve the biggest single-leg victory in African Champions League history.

Moroccan Hamid Ahaddad scored five goals in the preliminary round first leg rout and Tanzanian Simon Msuva contributed three for Jadida who led 6-0 at half-time.

Mauritanian Bakary N'Diaye opened the scoring after four minutes with Moroccan Bilal el Magri also on target.

The previous record for a single-leg win was shared by Kabwe Warriors of Zambia and Raja Casablanca of Morocco, who both secured nine-goal victories in qualifiers 39 seasons apart.

Kabwe Warriors beat Majantja of Lesotho 9-0 in 1972 when the competition was known as the African Cup of Champions Clubs, whilst Raja Casablanca were 10-1 winners over Tourbillon of Chad in 2011 .

Jadida's feat continued the momentum in Moroccan football following Morocco's convincing triumph in the African Nations Championship (CHAN) for home-based footballers last weekend.

Morocco's Wydad Casablanca are the reigning African Champions League title-holders, and Morocco have also bid to stage the 2026 World Cup.

After a bye, Wydad will launch their title defence against Stade Malien or newcomers Williamsville of the Ivory Coast who drew 1-1 in their first leg in Mali.

In other preliminary round first leg matches on Saturday, there was a shock 3-0 victory for Township Rollers of Botswana over 2015 semi-finalists Al Merrikh of Sudan in Gaborone.

Goals from Mosha Gaolaolwe and Edwin Moalosi gave the home side a two-goal half-time advantage and Segolame Boy came off the bench to score with his first touch 20 minutes from time.

No Botswana club has reached the group stage of the Champions League while Merrikh, and arch domestic rivals Al Hilal, are regular participants.

Elsewhere, former African champions Esperance of Tunisia - who won the trophy in 1994 and 2011 - were held to a 1-1 draw away to Concorde of Mauritania.