AFRICAN CHAMPIONS LEAGUE 2015 - 1st round / 2nd leg - this weekend
Algerian club Entente Setif defeated Gambian visitors Real Banjul 2:0 to comfortably clear the first hurdle in the defence of their African Champions League title.
The Black Eagles won the last-32 tie 3:1 on aggregate after coming from behind in Banjul three weeks ago to force a 1:1 first-leg draw.
Midfielder Toufik Zerara gave Setif a mid-first-half lead and defender Farid Mellouli added a second goal three minutes into the second half.
Setif can expect tougher opposition in the round of 16 where they will tackle Moroccans Raja Casablanca or South Africans Kaizer Chiefs.
Raja won the first leg 1:0 in Durban and are favoured to advance after the return match in Casablanca on Sunday.
Fellow Algerians USM Alger also progressed after drawing 1:1 with Senegalese AS Pikine at Stade Demba Diop in Dakar.
The tie was all but over as a contest after the Algiers outfit won 5-1 at home in mid-March despite having a player sent off midway through the second half.
El Hadji Alioune Sow gave Pikine a first-half lead at home and Hamza Koudri levelled 11 minutes from time.
Elsewhere this weekend, Nigerian club Enyimba defend a precarious 1:0 lead over Egyptians Smouha on Sunday in the Mediterranean city Alexandria.
Kano Pillars, also of Nigeria, must stage a miraculous comeback on Saturday to survive having crumbled 4:0 away to Moroccans Moghreb Tetouan.
South Africans Mamelodi Sundowns are in a similar position to Enyimba after establishing only a 1:0 lead over Democratic Republic of Congo visitors TP Mazembe.
Nigeria and South Africa are the economic giants of Africa and boast two of the most competitive domestic leagues on the continent.
But both nations have struggled to make their mark in the premier Confederation of African Football (CAF) club competition with back-to-back victories by Enyimba a decade ago the only Nigerian triumphs.
South Africa have been even less successful with a lone Champions League - then called the African Champions Cup - triumph coming through Orlando Pirates 20 years ago.
North African giants Al Ahly and Esperance look set to reach the last-16 stage of this year's competition which offers a $1.5m first prize.
Egyptians Ahly, champions a record eight times, host Rwandans APR with a two-goal advantage and Tunisians Esperance returned from Cameroon with a one-goal lead over Cosmos Bafia.
Kenyans Gor Mahia trail AC Leopards 1:0 ahead of the return fixture in Congo Brazzaville and the famous Nairobi club are battling to fund the trip to central Africa.