Petro reach CAF Champions League last eight

Petro Luanda of Angola became the second qualifiers for the CAF Champions League quarterfinals on Friday, despite not having a single goal attempt on target in a 0-0 draw with Al Hilal of Sudan.

Hilal, forced to stage the match in the Libyan city of Benghazi because of ongoing armed conflict in Sudan, also struggled in the attacking third and managed just one shot on target.

The Group C stalemate assured leaders Petro of a top-two finish and while Hilal rose from last to second, they will be overtaken on Saturday after a Tunisian derby between Etoile Sahel and Esperance.

Petro have nine points and Hilal five from five matches while Esperance have five and Etoile four having played one fewer match each.

𝗧𝗢 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗤𝗨𝗔𝗥𝗧𝗘𝗥𝗦!

🇦🇴 @petro_de_luanda are through for a second time in a row! ⭐#TotalEnergiesCAFCL pic.twitter.com/c2E0XYDAA2

— TotalEnergiesCAFCL & TotalEnergiesCAFCC 🏆 (@CAFCLCC) February 23, 2024

Esperance have won the Champions League four times and Etoile once while Hilal were runners-up twice and the best showing by Petro was reaching the semifinals two seasons ago.

Record 11-time title-holders Al Ahly of Egypt are close to joining Petro and ASEC Mimosas of the Ivory Coast, who secured a place last December, in the knockout stage.

The Cairo outfit won 1-0 away to Medeama of Ghana in Kumasi thanks a 48th-minute goal from Hussein el Shahat, his fourth of the campaign.

El Shahat unleashed a close-range shot after a pass from Anthony Modeste and although goalkeeper Felix Kyei got a hand to the ball, he could not prevent it entering the net.

BRILLIANT GOALKEEPING

It was the first goal attempt on target by Ahly after Medeama had the best three chances of the opening half at a stadium where Ahly won the Champions League for the first time 42 years ago.

Goalkeeper Mostafa Shobeir, deputising for injured captain Mohamed el Shenawy, made two brilliant reflex saves, then a Daniel Lomotey header flew just wide.

Ahly have nine points, Young Africans of Tanzania and Chabab Belouizdad of Algeria five each ahead of a clash in Dar es Salaam on Saturday, and Medeama four.

ASEC and Simba of Tanzania drew 0-0 in a cagey Group B top-of-the-table clash in Abidjan with the result suiting both teams.

Securing a point guaranteed ASEC will finish first, avoid other group winners in the quarterfinals and enjoy home advantage in the second leg.

Simba can finish runners-up and book a last-eight place for the fourth time in six seasons if they win at home against Jwaneng Galaxy of Botswana next Saturday.

Malian Sadio Kanoute from Simba squandered the best chance in the opening minute of the second half when he fired wide after ASEC goalkeeper Charles Folly was caught out of position.

There are five matches on Saturday, including Mamelodi Sundowns of South Africa away to Nouadhibou of Mauritania after a 24-hour journey from Johannesburg to north-west Africa.