The African Champions League group battle entered matchday three this weekend with a total of eight games played across the four groups.
A total of thirteen goals were scored with only five teams managing to win games on matchday three- Wydad Casablanca, Mamelodi Sundowns, Al Hilal, Al Ahly and Raja Casablanca.
In Group A, DR Congo’s TP Mazembe collected a valuable away point when they drew 0-0 with Angolan side CD Primeiro de Agosto at the Estádio 11 de Novembro.
Zambian forward Reinford Kalaba scored the opener for the visitors before Agosto equalized three minutes later courtesy of Cristovao Mabululu’s effort.
The result moved Mazembe closer to qualifying to the quarter-final while Agosto remained at the bottom of the log with just a single point in their bag.
In Ndola, Zambia, Zesco United played to a 1-1 draw against Egyptian giants Zamalek on Saturday. Although the home side dominated most parts of the match, it was the visitors who found the back of the net first.
Second-half substitute Mostafa Mohamed found the back of the net in the 72nd minute, converting Mohamed Abdel-Shafy’s inch-perfect cross.
However, only six minutes later, Quadri Kola Aladeokun brought Team Ya Ziko back into the game after tapping in a cross from inside the six-yard box.
In Group B, Egyptian international Walid Soliman scored twice as Ahly strolled to a 2-0 home win over Zimbabwe’s Platinum to move joint top on the log.
The record eight-time champions moved level on six points with Sudan’s Al-Hilal and Tunisia’s Etoile Sahel after three matches in what could be a tight race for the two quarter-final tickets.
Al-Hilal claimed a surprise 1-0 win over Etoile du Sahel in Rades with Althar El Tahir scoring the all-important goal in the second stanza.
In Group C, Mamelodi Sundowns captain Hlompho Kekana’s second-half goal was the decider as the Brazilians maintained grip at the top of the log with a crucial 1-0 away win against USM Alger.
Meanwhile, Wydad Casablanca of Morocco earned their first Group C with a 4-1 victory over visiting Angola’s Petro Atletico in a match played at the Complex Mohammed V Stadium in Casablanca on Saturday.
Ayoub Al Kaabi, who is currently on-loan from Chinese outfit Hebei China Fortunes, scored a hat-trick to ensure that his side moved closer to the quarter-finals of the competition.
Angolan international Wilson Pinto Gaspar scored an own goal that gifted the home-side a huge victory that saw the side restore a two-point gap between them and leaders Sundowns.
Brazilian midfielder Antonio Rosa scored the lone goal for Agosto, which came in the 68th minute of the game.
In Group D, Tunisia giants Esperance de Tunis were held to a goalless draw by DR Congo’s AS Vita in a match played at Stade Olympique de Radès on Friday 27 December.
Elsewhere, three-time champions Raja Casablanca of Morocco beat Algeria’s JS Kabylie 2-0 in a one-sided match played at the Stade Mohammed V.
Ben Malango and Soufiane Rahmi scored two quick goals in the second half as the Green Eagles moved to the second position on the group standings while Kabylie remained place third on the log.
