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Page last updated at 21:59 GMT, Sunday, 19 September 2010 22:59 UK

Esperance to play Al Ahly in the Champions League semis

Steve Vickers
BBC Sport, Harare

Oussama Darragi
Captain Oussama Darragi got the goal for Esperance in Harare

Tunisian giants Esperance will meet six-time champions Al Ahly in the semi finals of the Champions League after the group phase of the competition ended on Sunday.

Holders TP Mazembe of DR Congo will take on JS Kabylie of Algeria in next month's other semi final game.

Ahly finished second in Group B after they were beaten 4-2 by local rivals Ismaili on Sunday to set up their clash with the 1994 winners Esperance.

Kabylie held Nigerian side Heartland to a 1-1 in the group's other game on Sunday to seal their place at the top of the group.

Emeka Nwanna converted a first half penalty to give the home side the lead but Nabil Yalaoui's strike five minutes after the interval levelled the tie.

Ahly rested their key players for their game against Ismaili and they paid the price as Abdallah Al-Shahat put the hosts in the lead on five minutes but Mohamed Barakat levelled the score 30 minutes later.

A brace from Ahmed Ali and another strike by Moatasem Salem put Ismaili 4-1 up but Mohamed Talaat reduced the arrears with three minutes remaining.

Meanwhile, Esperance finished top of Group A on Saturday thanks to their 1-0 away win over Dynamos of Zimbabwe.

The Tunisian side sealed the top spot after the group's other game between Entente Setif and TP Mazembe ended 0-0.

This means Esperance finished top of the group with 13 points while defending champions Mazembe took second place on 11 points.

The Tunisians won their game in thanks to a 22nd minute strike from captain Oussama Darragi, who was unmarked inside the box.

Dynamos midfielder Thabani Kamusoko had a shot from 25 yards tipped onto the crossbar by goalkeeper Moez Ben Cherifa on 70 minutes.

The hosts pressurised for an equaliser in the dying minutes, but Esperance held on.

Esperance won the game despite playing without their Nigerian striker Michael Eneramo, the top scorer in this year's competition.

"We missed Michael a lot, we didn't make enough chances today," Ghanaian midfielder Harrison Afful told BBC Sport.

"We are ready for Al Ahly in the semi-finals, we're taking every game step by step, we are not scared of any team, and I hope that the trophy will be ours."

The semi-final games take place in October with the champions of the competition being decided on the weekend of 12-14 November.



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see also
Ahly under pressure after loss
16 Aug 10 |  African


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