ALGIERS - JS Kabylie put one foot in the semi-finals of the CAF Champions League 2010 by edging their nearest Group B rivals Al Ahly 1-0 on Sunday.

The result left the Algerians five points clear of their opponents, and six above third-placed Ismaily, with the group stage at its halfway point.

The top two in each section will qualify for the last four, meaning JSK effectively only need one victory from their remaining three outings to advance.

Mohamed Khotir-Ziti earned Kabylie their third successive 1-0 win, his outstretched leg turning home a 23rd-minute free-kick in Tizi Ouzou. "This is a huge victory for us,” said the hosts’ coach Alain Geiger afterwards.

The meeting Geiger was referring to will unfold in Cairo in two weeks’ time, when Al Ahly, now under pressure from compatriots Ismaily, who beat Heartland 1-0 at home yesterday thanks to Ndubuisi Eze’s first goal for his new club, will be determined to consolidate second position in the pool.

Mazembe replace Esperance at summit
Over in Group B, a late Ngandu Kasongo goal snatched TP Mazembe a 2-1 win over Esperance that took them above their victims and into top spot in Group A, while Dynamos scored their first points with a 1-0 defeat of ES Setif that revived their hopes of a top-two finish. The Zimbabweans now sit just four points off the pace.

Agencies