SOUSSE: Etoile Sahel of Tunisia clinched top spot in Group A of the African Champions League despite being held 0-0 by FAR Rabat of Morocco Saturday.
The draw lifted the club from the Mediterranean resort to 11 points, four more than second-placed Al-Ittihad of Libya with one series of mini-league fixtures left.
Former title holders Jeunesse Sportive Kabylie of Algeria lie third a point behind Ittihad and could pip the surprise packets from Tripoli for second spot after coming from behind at home to beat them 3-1 Friday.
FAR Rabat, the first Moroccan winners of the Champions League, are bottom with four points and cannot finish runners-up and qualify for the semi-finals of the $3.5 million competition.
Ittihad host Etoile on September 1 and a win would assure them of a place in the penultimate phase, but any other result and Kabylie could sneak through to a probable clash with defending champions Al-Ahly of Egypt.
Needing a win to stay in contention, FAR weathered first-half pressure from an Etoile team lacking young first-choice strikers Amine Chermiti and Cape Verdian Gilson Ja Silva.
The Moroccan armed forces club fared better in the second half, creating several chances and thought they had snatched an unlikely victory three minutes from full-time when Mohamed Borji tapped the ball into the net.
But his effort was disallowed and Tunisian television replays confirmed the Moroccan was offside as he pounced on a loose ball after goalkeeper Aymen Methlouthi failed to grasp it.
FAR players must curse the Olympic Stadium as they had a stoppage-time goal disallowed last December in the second-tier African Confederation Cup final that cost them the trophy.
Both Group B matches will be staged Sunday with ASEC Mimosas of Ivory Coast hosting Esperance of Tunisia in Abidjan before Al-Hilal of Sudan tackle Al-Ahly in Omdurman.
