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Sundowns, Wydad, Esperance reach last eight

 

Mamelodi Sundowns, Wydad Casablanca and Esperance on Tuesday became the first qualifiers for the CAF Champions League quarter-finals, and title-holders Al Ahly are set to join them.

Sundowns of South Africa are the only club boasting a perfect record after matchday 4 as Lebohang Maboe scored on 28 minutes in a 1-0 Group B win over TP Mazembe from the Democratic Republic of Congo in Pretoria.

Wydad of Morocco dropped points for the first time in Group C after a 0-0 draw at second-place Horoya of Guinea in Conakry, but the stalemate did not prevent them securing a sixth consecutive last-eight place.

Esperance of Tunisia completed a Group D double over 2020 runners-up Zamalek of Egypt by winning 1-0 in Cairo via a 73rd-minute goal from Libyan Hamdou Elhouni.

Record nine-time champions Ahly put poor recent Group A form behind them to triumph 3-0 over V Club of DR Congo in Kinshasa through goals from Mohamed Sherif, Mohamed ‘Afsha’ Magdy and Taher Mohamed.

Not even the most partisan Sundowns supporters could have imagined the team holding a nine-point lead with two rounds remaining, especially as five-time champions Mazembe were in the same section.

But the Congolese are bottom the standings and will be eliminated if they lose away to Chabab Belouizdad of Algeria next month.

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Belouizdad drew 0-0 away to Al Hilal of Sudan, the third draw for each side, who share second place, one point ahead of Mazembe.

Twice champions Wydad kept a fourth consecutive clean sheet as they comfortably contained a Horoya side who have not scored since matchday 1.

 

 

 

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