The quarter finals phase of the CAF Champions League is on the verge of turning into a regional contest after six Arab teams advanced from the last 16 phase into the group stage of the competition. Tunisian giants Esperance managed to hold Young Africans of Tanzania to a goalless draw in Mwanza on Saturday to go through with a 3-0 aggregate score line. Compatriots Etoile Sahel registered the same aggregate score when they hammered Togolese minnows Maranatha de Fiokpo 3-0 in Sousse, courtesy of goals from Amine Chermiti, Ayman Soltani and Afouene Gharbi. Royal Armed Forces of Morocco completed Saturday's hat-trick of wins for the Arabs when they beat Congo's TP Mazembe 2-0 in Rabat, compiling a 2-1 aggregate victory.
Ahli and Kabylie also advanced On Friday, holders Ahli of Egypt cruised 2-0 past South African champions Mamelodi Sundowns for a 4-2 aggregate win. Sudanese minnows Al-Hilal produced the shock of the day when they overturned a first leg 3-0 defeat against Nigerian debutants Nasarawa United into a 3-3 aggregate score before winning 3-2 on penalties to enter the group stage for the first time. In Algiers, Algeria's JS Kabylie's Nassim Hamlaoui snatched a 90th minute winner to give his team a 2-0 victory on the night over Cotton Sport of Cameroon aggregating a 2-1 score line after Omar Dabo had given the Algerians the lead. Morocco's Wydad Casablanca face a tough mission to turn over a 2-0 defeat by ASEC Mimosas when the two sides meet on Sunday, Ittihad of Libya face a similar situation as they will tackle Etoile de Congo with a 3-1 first leg defeat.
