Ismaili conceded a late goal for the second match running to lose 1-0 at already-qualified JS Kabylie and become on the verge of exiting the African Champions League from the group stage. Substitute Izu Azuka struck home three minutes from time to ensure Kabylie, who qualified for the competition's semis after holding Egyptian champions Ahli to a 1-1 draw in their previous game, would finish on top of Group B. Ismaili, who also lost 1-0 at home to Kabylie in July, were made to pay for squandering several goalscoring opportunities in a lively first half that was halted for around 12 minutes due to a floodlight failure. Mark Wotte's side, who haven't booked a last-four berth since losing to Nigeria's Enyimba in the 2003 Champions League final, were also handed a 2-1 defeat at Heartland after leaking a goal in the dying minutes. They are at the bottom of Group B with three points from five games, one behind Nigeria's Heartland and two adrift of second-placed Ahli. Ismaili would keep a slim hope of going through alive if Ahli and Heartland drew in Sunday's game at Cairo Stadium. The Dervishes will host Ahli while Heartland will face Kabylie at home in the last round of games. Early Onslaught Ismaili survived an early Kabylie onslaught that almost gave the hosts the lead after four minutes. Striker Mohamed Amine Aoudia made a darting run down the right and sent a low cross to Chemseddine Nessakh, who skied his shot over the bar with the goal at his mercy. Kabylie also tried their luck from distance more than once but their shots narrowly missed the target as Ismaili appeared befuddled by the sustained pressure from their opponents. Ismaili began to found their rhythm after the quarter-hour mark, with their intricate passing game unsettling the Algerian defense. They wasted four clear-cut opportunities to silence the enthusiastic home crowd before the break.
Nigerian striker Ndubuisi Godwin, who partnered Egyptian international Ahmed Ali upfront, capitalized on a defensive blunder to break clear in the 27th minute but toe-poked his low shot just wide. Three minutes later, Kabylie's in-form keeper Malik Asselah dived to superbly block Ali's side-footed shot from eight yards out. The combative striker was unlucky not to make amends in the 33rd minute when he chested a cross on the right hand side of the area before sending a right-footed volley that struck the crossbar. The power outage came at a perfect time for a Kabylie side that reeled from Ismaili's incessant attempts to break the deadlock. However, Ismaili still had one more chance to score after the match was resumed but an effort by right-back Abdullah Shahat, who latched onto a lay-off from Godwin, was thwarted by Asselah. Kabylie regained the upper hand in the latter stages of the first half but had two powerful shots blocked by Ismaili keeper Mohamed Sobhi, who admirably filled the void left by the summer departure of Egypt keeper Essam Al-Hadari. Fitness Sapped The exertions of the first half apparently sapped the fitness of Ismaili players after the break as they failed to maintain their tempo. They created some half-chances which did not trouble Asselah while Kabylie looked content with an impending share of spoils. However, the introduction of Nigerian striker Azuka turned things around and helped Kabylie claim all three points The 21-year-old could have scored in the 83rd minute but his side-footed effort was brilliantly tipped over by Sobhi. He made up for the wasted effort on 87 minutes to send the home fans into ecstasy. A right-wing cross found Aoudia, who headed the ball into the path of the onrushing Azuka to slid a left-footed shot into the bottom corner of the net.
