Sudanese club Al Hilal has secured its place in the CAF Champions League quarterfinals, becoming the first team to qualify for the knockout stage.
A 1-1 draw against Algerian side Mouloudia Alger in Mauritania on Sunday sealed their top-two finish in Group A.
Al Hilal has been forced to play its home matches in Mauritania due to the ongoing civil war in Sudan.
Despite the challenging circumstances, the team has shown resilience throughout the tournament.
Tense game
Mouloudia Alger took an early lead just five minutes into the game, with Soufiane Bayazid connecting with a cross to the far post. However, Al Hilal equalized 12 minutes from time.
Burundian midfielder Jean-Claude Girumugisha cut inside, skilfully evaded two defenders, and unleashed a powerful shot past Mouloudia goalkeeper Abdelatif Ramdane to secure the crucial point.
With two matchdays remaining, Al Hilal sits atop Group A with 10 points, followed by Mouloudia with five, Young Africans of Tanzania with four, and five-time African champions TP Mazembe from the Democratic Republic of Congo with two.
The battle for the second qualifying spot from Group A will be decided next weekend. Mouloudia will secure qualification with a win at home against Mazembe, provided Young Africans lose their away match against Al Hilal.
Other league action
Egyptian club Pyramids secured a dramatic 2-1 victory over 2023-24 Champions League runners-up Esperance of Tunisia in Cairo.
Esperance took the lead in the second half through Youcef Belaili, his seventh goal of the campaign, making him the top scorer in the competition.
However, Pyramids mounted a late comeback, with Aftmost Fahy levelling the score and Ibrahim Adel scoring a decisive winner in added time.
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