Zamalek must win their last game to join Ahli in the semi-finals of the CAF Champions league, Ahmed Morsy reports Five-time continental champions Ahli and Zamalek drew 2-2 in their African derby in the fifth round of the group phase of the CAF Champions league on Sunday. Ahli ensured their progress to the Champions League semi final as Group A winners. They lie on top with 11 points, five clear of second- placed Dynamos Harare with one match to go. Despite the draw, Zamalek still have a chance to book a last-four berth in the elite competition. They have five points, one less than Dynamos, whom they face in the last group stage game in Zimbabwe. Zamalek will go through if they beat Dynamos and Ahli do not lose to ASEC Mimosas, who also have five points, when they face each other in Cairo next week. Angolan striker Flavio Amado gave his side the lead in the eighth minute when he received compatriot Gilberto's free- kick with a header that found its way past the stranded Abdel-Wahed El-Sayed. Ahli remained better in terms of possession after notching the opener. Their strikers repeatedly overcame Zamalek defenders in set pieces in the first half. They also dominated the midfield, thanks to the absence of Zamalek's influential skipper Ayman Abdel-Aziz. Zamalek markedly improved in the last 15 minutes and deservedly claimed the equaliser. They were largely helped by Osama Hassan's penetrating runs down the left flank. He cut inside, sidestepped defender Wa'el Gomaa and shot from a tight angle but Ahli keeper Amir Abdel-Hamid parried his effort. However, Hassan gathered the ball once again and fed Gamal Hamza, who received the pass with a feint to slot home into the empty net as Abdel-Hamid was still lying on the ground. Ghanaian striker Agogo put Zamalek in front in the 51st minute when Mohamed Abdullah skipped past Ahli captain Shadi Mohamed before feeding Hamza, who turned and threaded a fine pass into the path of Agogo. The former Nottingham Forest man escaped his marker, Rami Adel, to fire a low shot into the bottom corner of the net to give Zamalek the lead. But Zamalek could not hold onto their lead, thanks to a defensive slip-up. In the 70th minute, Mohamed Abu-Treika controlled Flavio's pass inside the area and sent an accurate low shot home with the outside of his right foot. A day earlier, in the same group, Dynamos snatched a shock 2-1 victory over ASEC Mimosas of Ivory Coast in Abidjan. After soaking up first half pressure in perfect conditions at the compact Robert Champroux Stadium, Dynamos silenced the home crowd on 53 minutes when Marufu struck off a rebound. Another rebound allowed ASEC to equalise 20 minutes later as a looping Antoine N'Gossan header came back off the crossbar and Cyriac Gohi Bi stabbed the ball over the line. But Philip Marufu scored six minutes into stoppage time to run off with a surprise 2-1 win over the former champions. The result lifted the Zimbabwean side from bottom place to second and a home victory over five-time title holders Zamalek next Sunday will take them into the semi-finals of the competition. In Group B, TP Mazembe recharged hopes of reaching the semi-finals of the Champions League after beating Coton Sport 2-0 in DR Congo on Sunday. The game between two-time champions Nigeria's Enyimba and Al-Hilal of Sudan was called off because of rain. The water-logged pitch in Aba means the match is scheduled to be played on Monday. The result lifted Mazembe from the bottom to the top of the standings, level with Coton Sport on seven points, but ahead on goal difference, while Enyimba of Nigeria are one point behind and Al-Hilal of Sudan two back. Coton Sport of the Cameroon get another chance on Saturday to make the penultimate phase when they host Enyimba in Garoua. In the second-tier African club championship, the CAF Confederation Cup, Haras Al-Hedoud of Egypt replaced CS Sfaxien of Tunisia as Group A leaders after a 3-1 win in a top-of-the-table clash in Alexandria on Friday. Ahmed Eid gave African debutantes Al-Hedoud a 14th- minute lead which was quickly extended by Ahmed Abdel-Ghani three minutes later. Ivorian Blaise Kouassi pulled one goal back for the visitors in the 21st minute. However, Abdel-Hamid Bassiouni restored the Egyptians' two-goal lead six minutes before the interval. Club Africain thrashed InterClube 3-0 at home to occupy second place with four points, equal with CS Sfaxien. In Group B, holders Etoile du Sahel moved to the top of group after beating Sudan's Al-Merreikh 2-1 in Sousse on Saturday. The victory lifted the home side from third to the summit of the group with six points. In the group's other game on Saturday, Ghanaian side Asante Kotoko moved from the bottom of the table to the top following their 3-1 win over JS Kabylie of Algeria. Kotoko have six points while JS Kabylie slipped to the bottom of the table with three points.
