28.07.2014 13:41 h

Football: Vita snatch win to stay on track for semis

Democratic Republic of Congo club Vita snatched a 2-1 home win over Sudanese El-Hilal at the weekend to stay on course for a first CAF Champions League semi-finals appearance.

A good weekend for the vast central Africa country was completed when four-time title-holders TP Mazembe forced a 0-0 draw at Egyptians Zamalek.

Vita and Mazembe have seven points each and Hilal and Zamalek four each in Group A with two matchdays to come during August.

And with each club having a home and away fixture, the odds favour the DR Congo outfits retaining the top two positions.

After being held at home by Vita during June, Hilal needed at least a draw at Stade Tata Raphael in Kinshasa to have a realistic chance of making the penultimate stage.

The Omdurman team went ahead in the opening half through Mohamed 'Bisha' Bashir and were still in front 10 minutes from time.

An acrobatic shot from Guy Lusadisu Basisila brought the sides level and Nizar Hamed was ruled offside after Hilal thought they had regained the lead.

Much greater disappointment followed for the Sudanese seven minutes into stoppage time when Etekiama Agiti Taddy converted a penalty after Emmanuel Ngudikama had been felled.

Vita, who eliminated Nigerians Kano Pillars, Zimbabweans Dynamos and South Africans Kaizer Chiefs to reach the group stage, have been the surprise Champions League side this season.

The 'Black Dolphins' visit Zamalek and host Mazembe during August and three points should be enough to reach the semi-finals.

Desperate for a win after two losses in three games, Zamalek failed to score from a penalty and wasted several other scoring chances in Mediterranean city Alexandria.

Ahmed Ali was the spot-kick culprit as veteran goalkeeper Robert Kidiaba dived to his right and pushed the ball away.

Ali also squandered a good late chance and new signing Mostafa Fathi was foiled by the woodwork as dismal Zamalek form against the Congolese continued.

Mazembe won home and away against the 'White Knights' in 2012 and triumphed again in a bad-tempered match in Lubumbashi during June.Mid-year transfers and suspensions severely depleted Zamalek, who had only three reserves.

Mazembe once again started with a multi-national line-up that included four Congolese, three Malians, two Ghanaians, one Tanzanian and one Zambian.

Algerians Entente Setif and Tunisians CS Sfaxien are well placed to progress from Group B after matchday 4 victories.

An El-Hedi Belameiri shot and a Sofiane Younis header produced a 2-0 win for Setif over Al-Ahly Benghazi in a game switched to Tunisia because of Libyan unrest.

Mohamed Ali Moncer scored with a drive from outside the box to give CS Sfaxien a 1-0 home victory over fellow Tunisians Esperance in Sfax.It was a perfect start for celebrated French coach Philippe Troussier, known as the 'white witchdoctor' and back in Africa after a six-year absence.

Setif have eight points, Sfaxien seven, Benghazi four and two-time champions Esperance surprisingly prop up the table with three. The eight clubs are chasing a $1.5 million (1.1 million euros) first prize and a place at the 2014 FIFA Club World Cup in Morocco.