USMA's Malian forward Mamadou Diallo hit a vital equaliser

Algeria's USMA scored a late equaliser in the 1-1 draw with Senegal's Jeanne d'Arc to salvage a valuable point in the key Champions League clash in Bida.

Leading Champions League scorer Mamadou Diallo struck with a glancing header 18 minutes from time to take his tally to ten, and keep his side in the hunt for a semi-final place.

With just one game to go for both teams, the Senegalese lie second in Group B with eight points while USMA are third with seven.

With USMA playing Group B whipping boys SuperSport United of South Africa in their last match, they can reach the semi-finals with victory if Jeanne d'Arc fail to beat Esperance, who top the group with nine points.

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Jeanne d'Arc took the lead in the fourteenth minute when Dame Ndoye, receiving a pinpoint pass from Niokhor Fall, slipped a tackle outside the box before firing a fine angled shot past USMA goalkeeper Merouane Abdouni.

The Senegalese had matters under control for most of the first half with some tough tackling which left the USMA dangermen Houcine Achiou and Issad Bourahli with little space to manoeuvre.

Yet it was all USMA in the second half as Jeanne d'Arc openly defended their slender lead by using as many as six defenders.

They finally buckled under the pressure in the 72nd minute when Abed Benchergui superbly controlled Moulay Haddou's pass with his head inside the box before volleying the ball across the face of goal where Mamadou Diallo glanced his header off the far upright and into the net.

Late in the second half, the game degenerated into an ill-tempered affair as both sides had a player sent off in the space of a minute.

USMA midfielder Mahieddine Meftah got his marching orders in the 80th minute for a rough tackle and just a minute later, Niokhor Fall was red-carded for a terrible kick flush on Houcine Metref's jaw.

Benchergui had a great chance to snatch an injury time winner for USMA but somehow fired his shot from close range over the bar.