Homeless Sudanese club Al Hilal became the first qualifiers for the CAF Champions League quarterfinals after a 1-1 draw with Algerian outfit Mouloudia Alger on Sunday.
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Forced to relocate to Mauritania because of the Sudanese civil war, Hilal recovered from falling behind after five minutes to level 12 minutes from time and seal a top-two Group A finish.
Soufiane Bayazid scored for Mouloudia, who suffered a surprise home defeat by Hilal last month, when he connected with cross to the far post.
Burundian Jean-Claude Girumugisha salvaged a point for the table toppers when he cut inside, beat two defenders and unleashed a fierce shot past goalkeeper Abdelatif Ramdane.
Hilal have 10 points, Mouloudia five, Young Africans of Tanzania four and five-time African champions TP Mazembe from the Democratic Republic of Congo two with two matchdays remaining.
Who accompanies the Sudanese club to the knockout stage will be decided next weekend – it will be Mouloudia if they win at home to Mazembe and Young Africans lose away to Hilal.
Egyptian club Pyramids scored two late goals to snatch a dramatic 2-1 win over 2023-204 Champions League runners-up Esperance from Tunisia in Cairo.
Trailing to a second-half goal from Youcef Belaili – his chart-topping seventh of the campaign – the hosts levelled through Aftmost Fahy and Ibrahim Adel grabbed an added-time winner.
The clubs share first place in Group D with seven points each, two more than Sarada Esperance of Angola, and both north African teams are likely to make the knockout stage.