Ahli could finish in second place in the African Champions League, thus playing in an encounter it would have rather postponed, Abeer Anwar reports Ahli qualified for the semi-final of the African Champions League despite losing 2-0 to TP Mazembe of the Democratic Republic of Congo. But the loss meant Ahli could finish in second place and be forced to meet Esperance of Tunisia who are leading the other group. It was Esperance that stopped Egypt from winning the trophy for the past two years. Scorer Mbwana Samata put the Ravens of Mazembe ahead just after half-time at a packed stadium in southern mining city Lubumbashi and Mukok Kanda added a second goal on the hour mark against the already-qualified visitors. African midfield superstars Tresor Mputu and Egypt's Mohamed Abou Treika came face to face when TP Mazembe hosted Ahli. Mazembe went into the game boosted by the availability of two Zambian defenders/midfielders that were nursing injuries -- Stophira Sunzu was fit again after a hamstring problem and Nathan Sinkala recovered from a nerve infection that affected his face and visibility. It was the third consecutive victory for the four-time African champions after collecting only one point from a possible six in the opening rounds, and avenged a 2-1 loss to Ahli in Cairo. Mazembe and Ahli have 10 points with one round to go in Group B and if the Congolese can match the Egyptians' result on match day 6 they will win the mini-league on the head-to-head rule. Both teams want to finish first and avoid a probable semi-finals showdown with defending champions Esperance of Tunisia, who are unbeaten in 18 matches spanning two seasons. Tanzania-born Samata raised his Champions League goal haul to six this season by pushing the ball into the net on 48 minutes when Ahli goalkeeper Sherif Ekrami failed to hold a cross. Slick penalty-area passing created space for Kanda, who rifled a low shot past Ekrami to seal a more comfortable victory than expected over record six-time Champions League winners Ahli. In Group A, defending champions Esperance of Tunisia and Sunshine Stars of Nigeria secured semi-finals places after their pool was reduced to three clubs this week when Etoile du Sahel of Tunisia were disqualified over pitch invasions. Also this week Egypt's Zamalek drew 1-1 with Ghana's Berekum Chelsea in Cairo. With just one point with one game left, the game was useless for Zamalek but will nonetheless be remembered for being played with fans inside the stadium. Since 1 February, when 74 fans were killed in a league match in Port Said, all matches have been played behind closed doors. But this game was hosted in the secure confines of the Military Academy. The game was crucial for the visitors Berekum Chelsea who sought to pick up maximum points and stay in the hunt for qualification for semis. As Berekum Chelsea's Dutch manager, Johannes Van der Pluijm, told cafonline.com, he expected a tough battle for his charges as they seek victory against a team playing for its pride and honour. "We faced a great team in its backyard. Zamalek went through the game without as much pressure on their players as on ours. We had more pressure on our shoulders because we had to win to stay in the hunt for qualification. "The draw is a result of my players' lack of experience. We need to learn more and don't forget this is our first ever participation in the Champions League, and we still played a good match." Zamalek were led by their new Brazilian manager Jorvan Vieira, who did his best all through the game but it was very difficult for a new coach to do the impossible. He succeeded with his team to gain a point, the only one the team collected in its African journey towards the title. Vieira commented, "I apologise to Zamalek fans for this defeat. Mistakes won't be resolved over one night; we still have a lot of work to do in the coming period. We didn't make good use of our chances so the defeat was expected. We played under enormous pressure because we had no chance but to win. I'm satisfied with my players' performance. Looking back at our previous game against Mazembe, we had a much better game tonight. Both teams had equal winning of chances. Chelsea concentrated on attack while Zamalek had more possession and we managed to stop their attacks. "I'm not a magician to solve all the problems we face in a couple of weeks especially with the current circumstances. The supporters' presence motivated us and I wished l was able to play myself to give them something to cheer for." As Zamalek's defender Mahmoud Fathalla told cafonline.com his teammates played to win as they wanted to give their supporters something to cheer about. Zamalek players scored first. The White Knights missed the efforts of Benin star Razak Omotoyossi, who has been unhappy at a club struggling to pay players with no domestic football since the Port Said tragedy. Zamalek scored via Mohamed Ibrahim after 13 minutes while Amado Nafiu equalised for Berekum Chelsea. The draw gave Zamalek their first point in the group while Berekum Chelsea raised their tally to six points. The visitors went into attack searching for the equaliser, and the tournament top scorer Emanuel Clottey had a good effort saved by Zamalek's keeper and team captain Abdel-Wahed El-Sayed. In the 26th minute a free kick caused disturbance in Zamalek defence line which gave defender Amado Nafiu a chance to score Berekum Chelsea's equalizer. The second half started in the same way, but without major chances for both teams. Neither side could break down the other in the final minutes and the game ended in 1-1 draw as Zamalek bagged their first point and ironically gifting their rivals Ahli their semi final ticket before they faced TP Mazembe on Sunday in Lubumbashi. In the final group games, Ahli will face rivals Zamalek and Mazembe clash with Chelsea in Ghana.
