Guinean club Horoya Athletic moved within a touching distance of a place in the quarter-finals of the CAF Confederation Cup despite playing to a barren draw against Mali’s Djoliba AC in the Group B game played at Stade du 26 Mars in Bamako.
Victory would have seen the Conakry giants open a five-point gap against second-placed Libyan side El Nasr. Djoliba remained third after one loss and two draws.
Other Group B contestants, bottom-placed Bidvest Wits were beaten 2-1 by El Nasr at Petro Sports Stadium in Cairo.
Second-half goals from Khaled Almaryami and Muhanad Alajeeli handed the Libyans a victory and a huge boost to their campaign.
Wits netted a consolation with 15 minutes left through substitute Haashim Domingo, who beat Al Nasr goalkeeper Fathi Al Rasheed.
In Lusaka, Zanaco were at their best as they beat ESAE 3-0 in a Group C match played at the National Heroes Stadium.
Striker Rodgers Kola scored a second-half brace in the 57th and 81st minutes while first-half substitute Ernest Mbewe was on target in-between in the 54th minute.
Zanaco now have six points from four games but stay third in Group C and a point behind second-placed DC Motema Pembe of DR Congo and 2018/2019 runners-up RSB Berkane of Morocco who are tied 7 points heading into the penultimate round of games.
Meanwhile, in Group D, Stanley Dimgba scored thrice as Enyimba International recorded a 4-1 win against Algeria’s Paradou AC in their CAF Confederation Cup match day-four encounter in Aba.
Victor Mbaoma scored the other goal for Enyimba with Dimgba providing the assistance, while Abdelhak Kadiri pulled a goal back for the visitors a minute from time.
The victory pushed the Peoples Elephants to the second spot on the standings below Hassan Agadir, who thrashed FC San Pedro 3-0 in an entertaining match played at Grade Stade Adrar in Agadir, Morocco.
Striker El Berkaoui scored three goals within a spate of eight minutes as Hassania maintained their unbeaten run move to the brink of a quarters berth.
In Group A, Eric Traore and Nabil Dunga both scored as Pyramids defeated Al Masry 2-0 in a win that steered the Egyptian side to the quarterfinals.
Elsewhere, Enugu Rangers and FC Noaudhibou’s chances of making it to the quarter-finals suffered a huge blow after both teams played to a one-all stalemate at the Nnamdi Azikiwe Stadium.
Ibrahim Olawoyin secured a point for the Nigerians with a second-half penalty after Yasin Elwely had given Nouadhibou a first-half lead.
The Nigerian and Mauritanian sides are placed third and fourth respectively, both with two points, in Group A of the competition.
Rangers and Nouadhibou now trail second-placed Al Masry of Egypt by four points, while compatriot side Pyramids FC have qualified for the knockout stages with a perfect record of four wins from as many matches.
Photo: Courtesy of Enyimba International
