(AFP) - The ancient Egyptian Al-Ahly held the task of qualifying for the quarter-finals of the African Champions League in football, after suffering a severe loss at Mamelodi Sundowns, South Africa, 5-2, on Saturday, in the fourth stage of the group stage, at Loftus Versfeld Stadium in Pretoria.
While Moroccan champion Wydad Athletic Club approached the quarter-finals, after achieving its third successive victory in Group A, at the expense of its Angolan host Petro Atletico 2-0 in Luanda.

Al-Ahly’s balance froze at four points from four matches in the second group, which was topped by Sundowns with ten points, compared to 9 for the Sudanese Hilal. Sundowns, who tied 2-2 with Al-Ahly in the first leg, secured their qualification for the quarter-finals, to join Moroccan Raja.
Al-Ahly, the record holder for the number of times to win the continental title (10), has two matches left with Coton Sport of Cameroon, bottom of the standings without points, and Al-Hilal, so that the fate of the Cairo team will not be in his hands after stumbling in three matches so far.
Scored for the Chilean Marcelo Allende (4), Themba Zwane (24), Tebuho Mokoena (40) and Namibian Peter Shaluleli (72 and 88), and for Al-Ahly Mohamed Sharif (13) and South African Percy Tao (61).
Al-Ahly coach Marcel Köhler said that his team wanted to take risks in the second half and come back after falling behind 1-3. "I think we did not deserve to win today against a big team like Sundowns," he said.
He added, "We were very bad in the first half, and in the second we wanted to take a risk and return to the result, but Sundowns took advantage of the mistakes with counterattacks, scored goals and held Al-Ahly's position in the group."
The pressure of the landowners resulted in an early goal by the attacking midfielder Allende with a powerful shot from outside the area, to the right of veteran goalkeeper Mohamed El-Shennawy (4).
And from a mistake in passing to the Sundowns defenders, the ball reached the Algerian Ahmed Al-Kandoussi, who passed it to the uncensored Mohamed Sharif, who shot it to the right of goalkeeper Ronwen Williams (13).
The Sundowns players continued their offensive pressure in search of restoring the lead, taking advantage of the Al-Ahly defense confusion, in front of the movements of the midfield trio Allende, Cassius Mayola and New Maima, and in front of them was the annoying Shalulili.
And from a corner kick that was diverted by Tunisian Ali Maaloul, Motobi Mavala's header rebounded to Zawani, who was alone in the goal, and he hit it to the right of the goalkeeper (24). And from a repeated mistake in the middle of Al-Ahly stadium in pressing and controlling, Mokoena took advantage of the rebound from the defense and hit it powerfully, which settled in the upper right corner (40).
Tao returned with an effort to dodge Mokoena, penetrated into the penalty area from the left, then hit the ball into the net (61). Sundowns responded with a fourth goal from an organized attack, as Maima passed inside the area to the unmarked Shalulili, who shot it powerfully to the right of the goalkeeper (72).
And from a counterattack, goalkeeper Williams passed a long ball that reached Chaluli, dodging Mohamed Abdel Moneim and hitting it into the net (88). The left post saved Tau's header from a cross by substitute Amr Al-Suleya (89), so the match ended with a big victory for Mamelodi 5-2.

Wydad renewed its supremacy over Petro Atletico with two clean goals at home and among its fans, achieving its seventh victory over it in the history of their ten matches, in exchange for an orphan victory for the Angolan team.
The goals of the meeting were scored by Democratic Congolese Arsene Zola (59) and Senegalese Poly Sambo (90 + 1).
And “Wydad Al-Umma” put its first feet in the quarter-finals, as it raised its score to 9 points at the top of the first group, against the Algerian JS Kabylie (7 points), the winner over Vita Club from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, fourth, 2-1 (3 points), and Petro Atletico came third with four. points.
In the first match, the two teams started the meeting with defensive reservations, especially on the part of the Moroccan team, with preference for the host team seeking to revive its hopes, which pressed a lot, but did not create a danger in the goal of Moroccan international goalkeeper Ahmed Reda Al-Taknaouti.
The champion of the last edition, who aspired to his fourth title historically, relied on fast counters, and Jalal Al-Daoudi executed a direct free kick, which was saved by goalkeeper Hugo Marquez (13).
The international full-back, Yahya Atiyatallah, tried to miss the Angolan goalkeeper from a free kick as well, but Marquez hardly pushed it off the goal line (33).
The Brazilian Petro's top scorer, Thiago Azolao, almost surprised the Technaoti with a long shot, but he blocked it, and it bounced back to Gilberto, to hit defender Amin Farhan, then the crossbar, and Jaredi tried to return it to the goal, but the Congolese defender of Wydad, Arsene Zola, threw himself and saved her with a commando (35).
And the performance of the Moroccan team improved after the break, as the Spanish coach, Juan Carlos Garrido, made some adjustments to his squad without making any substitutions, as the defensive reservation continued, and the Angolan team almost snatched the lead when the Brazilian Willian Soares lifted the cross from a corner kick to reach defender Quinito facing the goal. So he turned it with his head over the goal strangely (57).
Wydad was able to reach the host’s net when Yahya Gebran kicked a corner kick, so he played it crosswise, but goalkeeper Marquez misjudged it, and Congolese Democrat Arsene Zola easily converted it into the net (59).
Garrido made offensive substitutions to take advantage of the spaces in the speedy counterattacks, as he pushed the Libyan Moayad Al-Lafi and Abdullah Haymoud, and the Brazilian Gleeson hit the ball from a direct free kick that bounced off the left post of the Technaouti goal (81).
Saif Al-Din Bohra responded with a long shot that was blocked by the crossbar (87), and from the rebound, Gleeson hit again a powerful ball that was blocked by the Moroccan goalkeeper with difficulty (88).
And from a quick rebound, Bohra led it from the right side, then sent a perfect cross ball to Senegalese Poly Sambo, and he headed it into the goal (90 + 1).
In the second match, JS Kabylie turned their backs with a goal scored by Marouf Chaki (55) to a 2-1 victory scored by Musa bin Zayed (63) and Masimisa Knight Salem (86).