Ahly drew and Zamalek lost in the penultimate round of the group stage of the African Champions League with the hopes of both qualifying to the quarter-finals a cliffhanger. Zamalek lost to CAPS United in Harare on Sunday 3-1 in match No 5 in Group B with one game to go. Zamalek's players went into the game determined to win and improve their position ahead of the final home game against Ahli Tripoli but the players of the White Castle were not up to the challenge. Their poor defending said it all. CAPS's Ronald Pfumbidzai gave his side the lead at the 31st minute before Stanley Ohawuchi leveled the score just one minute before half-time. Zamalek should have tried to take the lead but the players were aimless and disorganised and at the receiving end of a two-goal blow from striker Abbas Amidu who struck at death for his side's third. Despite the loss, Zamalek could still qualify for round eight although they need a miracle: to beat Ahli Tripoli and at the same time hope CAPS don't beat USM Alger in Algiers. Inacio Augusto's men have now slipped to the bottom of their group on five points, one adrift of CAPS and three behind Ahli Tripoli and group leaders USM Alger. Zamalek's Portuguese coach Inacio Augusto is facing heavy criticism and was apparently sacked after failing to secure an early qualification ticket into the Africa Champions League quarter-finals. Last year, Zamalek, five-time winners of the championship, reached the final of the tournament before losing to Sundowns of South Africa. “All Inacio's staff were sacked, the technical, medical and administrative,” Zamalek President Mortada Mansour told a sports programme on Sunday evening, adding that hiring a second coach is a possibility. But late reports suggested that the club's board wants to push the coach into resignation to escape the pay-out clause if he was fired instead. “Zamalek have given their worst ever performance under my guidance, wasting very easy chances. But still we have a chance to qualify by winning against Ahli Tripoli,” Augusto was quoted saying after the game. Zamalek have had 14 coaches since the election of Mansour in 2014, including Ahmed “Mido” Hossam, Hossam Hassan, Manuel Ferreira and Alex McLeish. CAPS travel to Algiers to face USM Alger next week while Zamalek battle Ahli Tripoli in Cairo. Earlier on Saturday, Ahli Tripoli and USM Alger settled for a 1-1 draw in Sfax. Egyptian giants Ahly delayed Zanaco's quarter-finals qualification after a barren draw in their clash at the National Heroes Stadium in Lusaka. The draw still left Zanaco of Zambia in command of Group D on 11 points, three ahead of Ahly heading into the final round of matches next week. The hosts had especially goalkeeper Toaster Nsabata to thank for keeping their unbeaten run. Nsabata was in inspired form in the first 45 minutes and initially parried Abdullah Said's shot in the ninth minute before he was again called into action in the 38th minute to shut out Ahmed Fathi with a dramatic one-foot stop. In the other Group D match in Garoua, Cameroonian champions Coton Sport sunk to their fifth successive defeat after Wydad Athletic Club of Morocco edged them 2-0. Wydad now have nine points against Ahly's eight while Coton Sport remain pointless and have been eliminated. Zanaco now head to Morocco to face Wydad next week while Ahly, the record winner of this tournament with eight crowns, battle Coton Sport in Alexandria. Tunisia giants Esperance booked their quarter-finals place after a hard fought 2-2 draw away to AS Vita in their penultimate Group B match in Kinshasa, going through with holders Mamelodi Sundowns. The stalemate came as a piece of good news to the defending champions Sundowns who had beaten Ethiopia's Saint George 1-0 away in Addis Ababa in an earlier kick-off.
