Day off

Ahli was soundly defeated in the African Champions League. In the Confederation Cup, Ismaili did not fare much better. Ahmed Morsy reports on a period of strife

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Nigerian striker Eke Goodwin (R) of Sudanese club Al-Hilal vies for the ball with Shady Mohamed of Ahli

Defending African champions Ahli have lost their second consecutive match in the African Champions League, putting their chances of reaching the semi-finals in doubt.

The Egyptians were thoroughly outclassed by Al-Hilal of Sudan in Omdurman 3-0 on Sunday. Previously, Ahli had lost to Esperance 1-0 in Tunisia. Al-Hilal now top Group B with nine points, tied with Ahli but ahead on goal difference. Ahli's aggregate goal difference is four, Hilal three and Asec Mimosas of Abidjan one.

The group further tightened when Asec beat Esperance 1-0. The Ivory Coast club have seven points. Esperance remain at four points and are effectively out of the running.

Ahli's last and most crucial Champions League clash is against Asec on 2 September in Cairo. In the first leg in Abidjan, Ahli won 1-0.

Hilal enthusiastically started the game and were eager to avenge their 2-0 loss in Cairo. The first half was just about equal and without goals. Hilal pushed the tempo in the second half and it was in the 58th minute when they broke the deadlock. Dario Khan nodded in a smart header after a pass from Youssef Mohamed.

Ten minutes later, substitute Hassan Eshag doubled the score after shooting a 35-yard bullet into Essam El-Hadari's net. In the 91st minute, Nigerian striker Ezeh Godwin skillfully maneuvered the defenders of Ahli before slotting home past El-Hadari and wrapping up the victory.

The Egyptian champions were without Angolan striker Flavio Amado and midfield duo Mohamed Shawki and Tunisian Anis Boujelbene, all suspended for the game.

Ahli lost not only the game but their star maestro midfielder Mohamed Abu Treika. Abu Treika was taken off seven minutes after Hilal's first goal after being harshly tackled by the home side defender. He will be out of action for at least four weeks with an ankle injury, Ahli announced on their official site on Monday. Thus, the talented playmaker is ruled out of Ahli's crucial Champions League clash against Asec on 2 September. Abu Treika also missed Egypt's friendly against Cote d'Ivoire yesterday in France.

In the past 14 years, Ahli have failed to win an away game against any Sudanese team. The last such victory was in 1993 against Hilal's arch rivals Merrikh in the African Cup Winners Cup.

The win extended Hilal's winning streak at home to 92nd consecutive games.

In the other match in Group B, Asec scored a crucial 2-0 win over Esperance of Tunisia in Abidjan. Sunday's victory for Asec followed an equally vital win over Hilal at Felix Houphouet- Boigny Stadium in the Ivorian commercial capital three weeks ago. Hence, Asec are third with seven points after Hilal and Ahli with nine for each.

Esperance, champions in 1994 and runners-up in 1999 and 2000, are last with four points and cannot reach the penultimate phase even if they defeat Hilal at home on 2 September in the final round.

In Group A, Etoile du Sahel of Tunisia clinched top spot with 11 points despite being held 0-0 by FAR Rabat of Morocco in Sousse on Saturday. FAR Rabat, the first Moroccan winners of the Champions League, are bottom with four points and cannot finish runners-up and qualify for the semi-finals, while Al-Ittihad of Libya come second with seven points. Former title holders JS Kabylie of Algeria lie third, a point behind Ittihad and could pip the surprise packets from Tripoli for second spot after coming from behind at home to beat them 3-1 on Friday.

On Sunday, Ismaili lost to Nigerian side Dolphins FC 2-0 in Group B in Nigeria. With three games to go, Ismaili have two points while top team Dolphin have six. The Egyptian club seem to be millions of miles away from qualification as only the top team in the group goes to the final. They have failed to register a victory in the three CAF Confederations Cup games they have played.

Edu Oyala broke the deadlock in the 22nd minute when he connected with a fine cross to poke home. Ismaili improved slightly after the break but Mohamed Mohsen Abu-Greisha blasted away all his team's chances until Victor Ezeji ensured victory for his team just a minute before the final whistle.

After the win, Dolphins climbed to the top of the group with six points, ahead of Sudan's Merrikh and Nigerian Kwara United, who have four points each.

In Group A of the same tournament, Mamelodi Sundowns are in second with six points from three games, and still remain the team to have conceded the highest number of goals, seven, while banging in five of their own.

Tunisia's CS Sfaxien, who were the group leaders a week ago, suffered a 2-1 loss to TP Mazembe in Kinshasa and are now third with four points. Mazembe, who remain unbeaten at home, jump to the top of the standings on six points courtesy of a superior goal difference head-to- head with Sundowns. As for Cameroon's Astres Douala, they are at the bottom of the heap with only one point out of three matches.