Football: African rookies Hilal into CAF Cup last eight

02 Jul, 2017

Both goals in the Group C matchday 5 clash came from penalties with Mohamed Tahir converting midway through the first half and Ivorian Cheick Moukoro soon after half-time.

Libolo had giant France-born striker Mamadou Diawara sent off just before half-time in Obeid, a city 350 kilometres west of the capital, Khartoum.

Victory gave Hilal an uncatchable four-point lead over third-place Libolo with one round to play in a group completed by Zesco United of Zambia and Smouha of Egypt.

Zesco recovered from a matchday 4 mauling by Libolo in Angola to draw 1-1 with Smouha in ancient Mediterranean city Alexandria.

The Zambian outfit went ahead six minutes from time when a shot from Kenyan Jesse Were was deflected into his net by defender Yasser Ibrahim.

Smouha equalised one minute into stoppage time when Burkinabe Banou Diawara converted a penalty.

Hilal have 10 points, leaving Zesco (seven), Libolo (six) and Smouha (five) to fight for the other quarter-finals place.

Mouloudia Alger of Algeria are also through to the last-eight stage of the secondary African club competition after a 2-0 home win over Platinum Stars of South Africa on Friday.

Captain Abderahmane Hachoud scored from a 12th-minute penalty and a superb half-volley by Hichem Nekkache in stoppage time sealed victory.

Record three-time CAF Confederation Cup winners CS Sfaxien of Tunisia or Mbabane Swallows of Swaziland, who meet Sunday in Lobamba, will be the other Group B qualifiers.

Former African champions Mouloudia have 11 points, Sfaxien seven, Swallows four and Platinum two.

A pattern of draws between the three Group D clubs challenging for qualification continued in Conakry with a 0-0 stalemate between Horoya of Guinea and SuperSport United of South Africa.

All five matches involving those clubs and title-holders TP Mazembe of the Democratic Republic of Congo have been drawn.

SuperSport had a late let-off when the referee awarded Horoya a penalty only to change his mind when the South Africans appealed for offside and a dive by Ocansey Mandela.

Horoya lead with nine points, SuperSport have seven and Mazembe six ahead of an away fixture against pointless Mounana of Gabon in Libreville Sunday.

 

 

Copyright AFP (Agence France-Press), 2017

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