USM Alger survived a scare in the first leg of their Caf Champions League preliminary round game against AS SONIDEP before claiming a 2-1 win at Stade General Seyni Kountche.
The Algerian outfit fell behind in the 14th minute after Amadou Sabo kept his composure from 12 yards to send the Niger side into a surprising lead with a penalty.
It stayed that way until half-time, but the Red and Blacks turned the match around after the break following a Zakaria Benchaa brace to put the Algerians in the driving seat heading into the second-leg at the Omar Hamadi Stadium on August 23.