Tanzanian club Young Africans suffered two blows on Saturday to hopes of reaching the CAF Champions League quarterfinals.
They surrendered a lead they established over Egyptian visitors Al Ahly in a 1-1 Group B draw, leaving them with just one point from back-to-back matches against the record 12-time champions.
Several hours later Moroccan military club FAR Rabat won 1-0 at home to Algerian outfit JS Kabylie and moved above Young Africans into second place on goal difference.
In the penultimate matchday on February 7, FAR host Young Africans and will secure a last-eight place and eliminate the Tanzanians if they win by two or more goals.
Ahly have eight points, FAR and Young Africans five each and Kabylie two. The Tanzanians are the only club among the four who have not won the premier African club competition.
Young Africans took the lead against Ahly in added time at the end of the first half in Zanzibar City through defender Ibrahim 'Bacca' Hamad.
After a slick involving Ugandan Allan Okello, Angolan Laurindo 'Depu' Aurelio and Ivorian Pacome Zouzoua, Hamad pounced on a partial Ahly clearance and fired past goalkeeper Mostafa Shobeir.
Young Africans retained the lead until the 60th minute when Aliou Dieng reacted quickest to a loose ball after a corner and unleashed a powerful shot past fellow Malian Djigui Diarra.
EMPTY STADIUM
With Ahly set to win the group, Young Africans would have wished for a draw between FAR and Kabylie in the Moroccan capital to retain a two-point advantage with two rounds remaining.
But after 73 goalless minutes FAR won the north African showdown through a goal from Hamza Khabba, his second of the Champions League campaign.
The 29-year-old, who came off the bench to replace injured Mouchcine Bouriga after 15 minutes, got in front of an Algerian defender to poke a cross past goalkeeper Gaya Merbah.
There were no supporters to cheer the goal, however, as FAR were forced to play behind closed doors due to crowd trouble in an earlier home match against Ahly.
In Group D, surprise packets Stade Malien of Mali maintained a three-point lead after forcing a 0-0 draw away to third-placed Petro Luanda in the Angolan capital.
Four-time African champions Esperance of Tunisia will join Stade on eight points if they win away to Simba, the other Tanzanian contenders, in Dar es Salaam on Sunday.
Stade reached the group stage for the first time this season after 19 failed attempts to get beyond the qualifying rounds.
Defending champions Pyramids of Egypt also play on Sunday. They host Renaissance Berkane of Morocco in a top-of-the-table Group A clash in Cairo.