Ahli drew and Ismaili and Haras Al-Hodoud both lost in Africa's premiere football club championships. Abeer Anwar reports At the start of the group stage of the Orange CAF Champions League Ahli drew 1-1 with Heartland of Nigeria in Nigeria to set up a clash in two weeks time in Egypt. In Group B, although Ahli players had just returned from a two-week training camp in Germany and Austria in preparation for the new season, they looked far from fit. Hossam El-Badri, Ahli's head coach, complained bitterly about the poor state of the pitch. It was clear all through the match that the players of both teams were unable to perform well because of the pitch which was perhaps why El-Badri told his players to defend most of the time. Ahli, the six-time champion of the tournament, started the match well and took control but were unable to score and all their trials were futile until the Heartland players were able to open a spot in Ahli's defence from which Bello Kofarmata fired in the lead on 49 minutes. The goal rattled Ahli but Mohamed Abu Treika drew with a penalty mid-way in the second half to end the game 1-1. "I'm satisfied with the result because I was afraid our players would be injured because of the field that should not be used in any official matches by any means," El-Badri said after the game. He added that it was the first match after a long lay-off "but we still have a very good chance of winning in Cairo." Egypt's Ismaili, although playing at home, lost 1-0 to JS Kabylie of Algeria. Ismaili had the upper hand almost throughout the match but JS Kabylie was the only club to have recorded a win in Group B thanks to defender Essaid Belkalem's goal 14 minutes from time. "I am very happy with the victory especially that we were not playing at home," Swiss Alan Vever of JS Kabylie said. "We have a great chance of making it to the following level." Vever added that he changed his tactics from defending to attacking "as it was very near to the end" and he wanted "to create a happy ending" for his team. He also thanked the Egyptians for their welcome and their warmth which helped erased the bitter memories connected with the heated Egypt-Algeria World Cup qualifiers of last November. "I could not believe we lost," Ismaili coach Mark Vota of Holland said. "The players were very good but the team was missing a number of strikers and this is the best we can do with the players that are available." JS Kabylie, or the Canaries, winners of the premier continental club championship in 1981 and 1990, lead the pack on three points, with Ahli and Heartland in that order on one point apiece with Ismaili at the bottom pointless. Day two matches will take place at the end of July. In other Orange CAF Champions league matches in Group A holders TP Mazembe of DR Congo overcame Dynamos of Zimbabwe 2-0 in Harare after goals by Given Singuluma, imported from Zambia, on the 17th and 33th minutes. Singuluma helped ensure that the Congolese champions will compete for the title again as it topped the group's standing on superior goals. Mazembe occupy top spot of the group with superior goals despite having three points as Esperance with Entente Setif and Dynamos trailing them with no points in that order. Esperance piped Algeria's Entente Setif by a lone goal. Wajdi Bouazzi scored the match winner on 52 minutes as Esperance picked the maximum points at the expense of Algerian champions Entente Setif. In the CAF Confederation Cup last 16 first leg match, Egypt's Haras Al-Hodoud, the Pharaohs sole representative in the competition, was beaten in Botswana through Gaborone United's midfielder Tshepo Molefe on the 65th minute. The two teams finished the first half scoreless as Haras Al-Hodoud players missed a host of easy chances. Gaborone United's coach Mike Sithole was satisfied with the result as his team have not lost a match since their campaign began but wished that the team could have scored more goals to act as a cushion the final leg match to be played in Alexandria in two week's time. Gaborone United are hoping to become the first Botswana team to reach the mini-league stage of a CAF club competition while Haras Al-Hodoud are targeting a third successive appearance in the group stage of the Orange CAF Confederation Cup. SuperSport United beat FUS de Rabat 2-1 at Super Stadium in Pretoria to take charge going into their last 16 return leg in a fortnight's time in Morocco. The opener was scored by Morgan Gouldin the 8th minute but FUS leveled five minutes before the end of the first half through Ibrahim Ziadi while Supersport's star, Anthony Laffor, gave his team the lead for good from a penalty shot in the 73rd minute. Nigerian side AS FAN maintained their impressive run in the Orange CAF Champions League by holding Sudanese giants Al Merrikh to a 2-2 draw in their second 1/8th round first leg clash at home in Omdurman. AS FAN maintained their hold of the game and went up for the first time through Ibrahim Aboubaker on 80 minutes, but that was after Tunisian-import Abdelkarim Nafti had wasted a penalty awarded Al Merrikh five minutes earlier. On the stroke of full time, an own goal by hard-pressed defender Amado restored parity to give the Sudanese giants some glimmer of hope ahead of the second leg in Niamey in a fortnight. Hilal beat CAPS United of Zimbabwe 5-0 in Omdurman whilst Zanaco whitewashed former African champions Enyimba of Nigeria 4-0 in Lusaka. At the Modibo Keita Stadium in Bamako, Djoliba AC and CR Belouizdad settled for a barren draw. Twice winners CS Sfaxien of Tunisia held Angolan champions Petro Atletico to a barren draw in their second 1/8th round first leg clash on Saturday. There were also victories for Libya's Al-Ittihad and depleted South African champions SuperSport United. In Lusaka, a spectacular first half performance from Zanaco was enough to hand Enyimba their successive heavy defeat in their campaign. Defender Eugene Shamakamba began the rout with a header on two minutes before Matthew Macha doubled the lead three minutes later. Goals from forwards Ignatius Lwipa and Winston Kalengo put the host 4-0 up in the first half and the eventual final scoreline. Zanaco coach Wedson Nyirenda told CAF on-line that the game was a difficult task while commending his players for their output. "Playing at home there's always a lot of pressure. And this being the final round before qualification into the group stage of the competition, there's always that pressure on the players and the coaches," Nyirenda said. Primeiro de Agosto slumped to a 2-0 loss in Tripoli to Al-Ittihad. A brace from striker Mohamed Zubya sealed victory for the Libyan champions. In Bamako, Djoliba AC and CR Belouizdad of Algeria played out a barren draw.
