Harras Hodoud were held to a goalless draw by Tunisian side Sfaxien on Sunday in their Group B opener of the African Confederation Cup group stage. The Alexandria-based club struggled to break down the visitors to open their group stage campaign with an unconvincing draw. FUS Rabat of Morocco top the group after beating Zambian side Zanaco 1-0 on Saturday. Hodoud, who are looking to reach the semi finals on the third attempt after failing to go beyond this round in the past two seasons, missed four regular players. Centre back Islam Al-Shater, left-back Mohamed Mekki and midfielder Ahmed Salem could not play due to injuries. Senegalese striker Pape Latyr N'Diaye, who joined Hodoud in the close season, was also absent as the club were unable to register him in their African squad. "I think the result is satisfying, given that we played without some key players," Hodoud coach Tarek Al-Ashri said after the game. "We were aiming to claim all three points but we were facing a strong team. The draw is not bad." Egyptian Cup holders Hodoud, who held Zamalek to a 2-2 draw in their league opener, next face Zanaco on August 29.
