A weakened Zamalek side, who had already qualified for the last eight, played out a 0-0 draw at Angola's Primeiro de Agosto in their last African Champions League group stage game on Saturday. French coach Patrice Carteron made wholesale changes to Zamalek's starting line-up after they ensured their progress to the quarterfinals with one match to spare. Some fringe players were given a chance to prove their worth, but none made a notable impact in a drab affair. Zamalek finished as runners-up in Group A with nine points, five behind leaders TP Mazembe of the DR Congo, who defeated Zambia's Zesco United 3-1 in the other group game on Saturday. Primeiro de Agosto finished third on four points, one ahead of Zesco. Zamalek sat back in the early stages to soak up pressure, with the hosts wasting the first-half's best chance after five minutes when Ary Papel skipped past two challengers in the area and rattled the bar with a powerful shot. The visitors also had a couple of chances of their own, with a backward header from lone striker Omar El-Said going just wide following a long throw-in and attacking midfielder Karim Bambo thwarted in a one-on-one situation. Chances were few and far between in a bore second half as both sides looked content to end with a draw. Zamalek's Congolese forward Kabongo Kasongo came on as a second-half substitute to make his first appearance after re-joining the club in January following loan spells with Saudi side Wehda and Morocco's Wydad Casablanca. In Group C, leaders Mamelodi Sundowns defeated Morocco's Wydad 1-0, thanks to a penalty from Ricardo Nascimento on the stroke of halftime. Both sides had already qualified before the last round. Sundowns finished on top with 14 points, five ahead of Wydad. (For more sports news and updates, follow Ahram Online Sports on Twitter at @AO_Sports and on Facebook at AhramOnlineSports.)
