Etoile lead Group A of the Champions League with seven points

An early goal set up Tunisia's Etoile du Sahel for a comfortable 3-0 home win over JS Kabylie of Algeria in their Champions League Group A match on Saturday.

The result maintained Etoile's unbeaten run in the group and kept the Tunisians on course for the semi-finals for the third time in four years.

Amine Chermiti slid home the ball after chasing on to a long pass from the centre line, getting first to Khaled Melliti's speculative drive forward to beat JS Kabylie's keeper Faouzi Chaouch.

JS Kabylie had several chances to pull back a goal before half-time, the best being Tayeb Berramla's free kick which struck the crossbar.

Etoile scored two goals in five minutes shortly after half-time to seal the win.

Captain Mejdi Ben Mohamed scored from close range in the 48th minute after Cape Verdian import Ja had his initial shot blocked and the rebound fell perfectly for Ben Mohamed.

Ja added the third in the 53rd minute with a touch of individual brilliance, twisting past two defenders and hitting the ball home on the outside of his foot from an acute angle.

In the other Group A match also on Saturday, Morocco's FAR Rabat scored a dramatic injury time winner to secure their first points of their group campaign.

But the controversial nature of the goal against Al Ittihad of Libya set off a 10-minute fracas near the end of the match.

Striker Jawad Ouaddouch got a glancing header to a long range effort but looked to be in an offside position, setting off an invasion of officials and a fight between players.

Libyan substitute Mohamed Zubya, who did not play in the match, was sent off for running onto the pitch to participate in the uproar.

Al Ittihad's Serbian coach Branko Smiljanic had to be restrained from attacking the referee and then players from the opposing team.

Television replays showed Ouaddouch's goal to be legitimate and came just as FAR Rabat seemed condemned from a third successive group game without scoring.

Nigerian referee Emmanuel Imiere was besieged by players and officials of the Libyan team at the final whistle and had to be rescued by security officials.