Egyptian club Ahli seldom lose but went down at the start of the African Champions League group stage, Inas Mazhar reports Defending champions Ahli were beaten on African soil for the first time in more than two years at the start of the group stage of the African Champions League on Saturday. A first-half header by CS Sfaxien defender Issam Merdassi gave the Tunisian side a 1-0 win against their Egyptian rivals in Group A. It was the first loss for Ahli in continental and domestic competition since July 2004. The African Champions League eight- team group stage got under way earlier this week with seven former champions -- including two from Ghana -- hoping to steal the crown from record-breaking holders Ahli. The defending champions Ahli had not been beaten in Africa in more than two years and recently completed a second successive season undefeated in the Egyptian league, drawing just three and conceding a measly six goals in 23 matches. But they were given a stiff challenge in their opening match of Group A away to CS Sfaxien. The Tunisians had to scrap to reach the last eight, securing 1-0 wins on the road after being held 1-1 at home by the Royal Armed Forces of Morocco and Club Motema Pembe from the Democratic Republic of Congo. Sfaxien, who finished fourth this year behind Esperance and Etoile Sahel after topping the domestic table in 2005, will need to improve that form if they are to stop the Ahli juggernaut in the return match. Ahli Portuguese head coach Manual Jose was disappointed after the loss and criticised the referee, adding, however, the referee was not the reason for the loss "because Ahli had won before with worse officiating." Jose admitted the Tunisian side was better and deserved the win, but added, "The loss is not the end of the world for us. We played 20 matches in Africa. One day we had to lose. You can't win forever, no team can." Jose said the lone goal had been the result of "silly mistakes" by his players. In the other group match, Algeria's JS Kabylie beat Asante Kotoko of Ghana in Algiers 1-0. Kabylie, which went into the match fresh from clinching the Algerian championship, have a formidable record at home. They defeated Zanaco of Zambia and then Morocco's Raja Casablanca in the earlier knockout stages. Asante Kotoko also won their domestic title above Hearts of Oak. After overcoming Cameroon's Aigle Royal Menoua, Mozambique's Ferroviario Maputo and Uscafoot of Madagascar, the Ghanaians will now be hoping to conquer Africa and continue to fly the Black Stars' flag. Hearts of Oak squandered a penalty and conceded an own goal as they went down 2-0 at home to Enyimba of Nigeria in their opening African Champions League Group B . Defender Daniel Quaye had his re- taken penalty saved and defender Kwabena Boafo miscued a clearance into his own net in the second half as Hearts' fortunes crumbled at their temporary home ground in Obuasi. Enyimba, who won the Champions League in 2003 and 2004, led 1-0 at half-time courtesy of Joseph Amadi's header from a 13th minute corner. Hearts, title winners six years ago, were playing at Obuasi because of renovations to the national stadium in Accra ahead of Ghana's hosting of the 2008 African Nations Cup finals. In the other Group B match, South Africa's Orlando Pirates were allowed to postpone their game with ASEC Abidjan of the Ivory Coast in Johannesburg because they played Manchester United in a friendly in Durban on Saturday. The match is a repeat of the 1995 final which was won by the South Africans. The Pirates were in swashbuckling form in the early rounds, knocking 16 goals past Swaziland's Mbabane Swallows and Mauritius' AS Port Louis 2000, but they were given a fright by A-Hilal, only progressing on the away goals' rule after going down 3-1 in the return leg in Sudan. ASEC, who lost in that final 11 years ago, are not far behind Orlando Pirates in the number of goals scored during the knockout stage. The 1998 champions disposed of East End Lions of Sierra Leone, Civics of Namibia and Port Autonome of Senegal, hitting the net 17 times and conceding just once. The top two teams from each group progress to the semi-finals.
