JOHANNESBURG – Mamelodi Sundowns, Raja Casablanca, ES Setif, Esperance de Tunis, CR Belouizdad, Petro de Luanda and Wydad Casablanca have secured progression in the CAF Champions League.
Zamalek’s search for a maiden win ended up in smoke as they played to a barren draw with Petro Atletico de Luanda in Angola.
Petro remained top with 11 points while Egyptian giants collected only their third point of the group.
Meanwhile, ten-man Mamelodi Sundows are assured of finishing top of Group A after thrashing Al-Hilal 4-2 in Omdurman.
Peter Shalulile, Teboho Mokoena and Thapelo Morena’s double did the job for Sundowns while Yasir Mozamil and Elnour Eltayib scored the consolation for Hilal.
Sundowns had to play 79 minutes of the match with 10 men after Kenyan defender Brian Onyango was sent off in the 11th minute after making a tackle as a last man of defense.
With the result, Sundowns is assured of finishing top of the group with 13 points, six ahead of second placed Al-Ahly.
Hilal remained third with four points and will now face off with Ahly in what promises to be a finale with the second of two automatic qualification slots at play.
Shalulile broke the deadlock just two minutes into the tie when he turned well inside the box from a Themba Zwane pass before slamming the ball home.
Despite being reduced to 10 men nine minutes later, Sundowns dominated play and they doubled their lead on the half hour mark with Mokoena taking a rasping 40 yard freekick into the net.
In the second half, Hilal came back seeking a route back and they halved the deficit with Mohamed scoring 10 minutes after the restart.
But Sundowns restored their two goal lead with Morena scoring the first of his two four minutes later.
The South Africans continued their dominance and Morena completed his brace in the 89th minute.
Eltayib pulled one back in the fourth minute if added time, but Sundowns had long taken care of the result.
Elsewhere, CR Belouizdad became the seventh team to book a slot in the quarter-finals after seeing of CR Belouizdad 2-0 in Algiers.
Sofiane Bouchar and Mohamed Belkhir scored for the Algerians in the first half as they moved to 11 points in Group C, same as leaders Esperance with one round of group stage matches left.
Etoile needed nothing but a win in the fixture away in Algiers, but they fell short, remaining third with just three points from three successive draws.
The home side knew three points at home would be a guarantee for them to be in the last eight and they had a bright start, getting into the lead after just three minutes. Mohamed Bakir’s freekick from the left was spilled by the Etoile keeper right at Bouchar’s feet, the defender simply guiding the ball home.
They doubled their tally quarter of an hour later, this time Belkhir calmly finishing from inside the box after Karim Aribi flicked a long ball into his path.
They should have gone to the break three goals up, but Kheiredine Merzougui who had just come on for the injured Aribi failed to head on target off a Mokhtar Belkhiter pin-point cross.
Etoile tried to pull in some effort in the second half to get a comeback, but the Algerian side defended well to guard the victory and confirm their place in the last eight.
Elsewhere in Luanda, Wydad Athletic Club left it late to break home side G.D. Sagrada Esperança’s hearts as they beat them 2-1.
The victory hoisted Wydad top of Group B with 12 points, one ahead of Petro de Luanda who earlier on played to a 0-0 draw with Zamalek.
Esperança led by a solitary goal scored by Joaquim Paciencia until the 82nd minute when Zouheir el-Moutaraji drew the Moroccans level. In the fourth minute of added time, substitute Juvhel Tsoumou completed the comeback to deny the home side a maiden group stage victory.
Paciencia had sent Esperança dreaming, scoring their first goal in the group stages after half an hour when he finished off a quick counter attack with Bonginkosi Dlamini squaring a cross from the right.
Muaid Ellafi almost drew Wydad level with an acrobatic kick off a corner, but the home side held on for the slim lead until halftime.
In the second half, Wydad camped in their half as they pushed to get back into the game. Esperanca keeper Gerson made a brilliant one on one save in the 54th minute to deny El Moutaraji after being put through on goal.
But, the midfielder dew his side level in the 82nd minute when he volleyed the ball home from the backpost after Guy Mbenza had flicked a corner to his path.
Mbenza was then denied by the post after a sweet connection from a cross, before forcing keeper Gerson to a brilliant one handed save.
However, Esperanca chocked in the last minute of added time when substitute Tsoumou scored the winner.
