Tanzanian giants Young Africans (Yanga) and Nigeria's Rivers United have become the latest teams to earn slots in the quarter finals of the TotalEnergies CAF Confederation Cup after picking favorable results in their penultimate round of matches on Sunday.
Yanga beat erstwhile Group D leaders US Monastir 2-0 while Rivers United played to a 2-2 draw against Diables Noirs, but it was enough to hand them a ticket into the last eight.
Group D
Yanga came into the match on the backdrop of two wins in their last three matches and they knew victory would propel them into the last eight. Against a side that beat them in the first leg up North, they were equally eager to make amends.
They had a good start to the game, pushed on by their fans at the National Stadium in Dar es Salaam. They were rewarded for the positive start with Kennedy Musonda breaking the deadlock with a diving header from a Jesus Moloko cross.
Fiston Mayele almost doubled the lead close to halftime when he battled two defenders to find shooting space from the edge
They took the 1-0 lead to the break, and deservedly so.
In the second half, they started positively and made it 2-0 on the hour mark, Mayele scoring with a sublime finish. He picked up a pass from Musonda, a beautiful turn taking him away from his marker before he shot low for his 10th of the campaign.
Yanga saw off the victory to move top of the group, skipping over the Tunisians on goal difference.
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Meanwhile, DR Congo giants TP Mazembe's struggles continued as they lost their fourth consecutive match, going down 2-1 away to Mali's Real de Bamako. Both Mazembe and Bamako have missed out on the last eight, Mazembe bottom with three points.
Ousmane Kamissoko scored a goal in either half for the home side, with Bamako's consolation scored by Fily Traore in the 67th minute.
Group B
Meanwhile, Nigeria's Rivers United have earned themselves a place in the quarter finals despite a 2-2 draw at home against Diables Noirs. The result sees them move to 10 points on top of the group, three ahead of second placed Asec Mimosas, who are yet to play their penultimate match.
Diables are third in the group with five points and their hopes only hinge on whether Asec loses their match against DC Motema Pembe.
Rivers had to come from 1-0 down to lead 2-1, but conceded an equalizer nine minutes to time.
Emmanuel Ampiah put the ball in his own net to give Diables the lead, one they held on till halftime. In the second half though, Rivers put up a fight and Nwangwa Nyima scored twice in four minutes to take the lead.
However, Diables restored parity with nine minutes left through Deo Bassinga.
Meanwhile, in Group C, Future FC of Egypt kept their hopes alive with a 3-0 win over AS Kara of Togo. The three points and three goals take them to second place on eight points, same as leaders Pyramids and one ahead of third placed AS Far. The two face off in the late kick off.
Ali Elfil gave them a 1-0 lead at halftime with a goal scored in the 41st minute. Mohamed Lasheen and Ahmed Atef scored twice late on, to seal the victory and the three points.
