USM reach CAF semis, setback for Hilal

A headed goal four minutes into the second half from Mohamed Meftah after a corner earned Group B leaders USM a 1-0 victory at fellow Algerians Mouloudia El Eulma.

Moroccans Moghreb Tetouan won for the first time in Group A, shocking previously unbeaten Hilal 1-0  in Omdurman via a 24th-minute penalty converted by Ahmed Jahouh.

USM, who reached the 2003 semi-finals of the marquee African Football Confederation (CAF) club competition, have won four consecutive group games.

The perfect record has assured the 'Reds and Blacks' of progressing to the penultimate stage of a competition offering a $1.5 million (1.35 million euros) first prize.

And another victory from their remaining fixtures -- at home to Entente Setif of Algeria and away to Al Merrikh of Sudan -- will guarantee first place and a semi-final against the Group A runners-up.

Surprise group qualifiers Eulma, who were demoted to the Algerian second division in  mid year, are pointless after four consecutive losses, including a 2-1 defeat at USM two weekends ago.

Merrikh and title-holders Setif, who have four points each, clash Sunday in Omdurman.

Group debutants Tetouan desperately needed maximum points against twice runners-up Hilal in Omdurman having taken only two from a possible nine despite playing two of three games at home.

But form favoured Hilal, group leaders going into the game after a victory and two draws, one of them away to four-time African champions TP Mazembe of the Democratic Republic of Congo.

The Moroccans stunned the partisan home crowd when Atir Magor fouled Yassin Lakhlal and Jahouh scored his second goal of the group stage by firing the spot-kick past Cameroonian Maxime Loic Feudjou.

Hilal almost levelled soon after with a goal-bound Salah Jizoli shot cleared by Younes Bellakhdar.

The Sudanese club, losing 1982 and 1987 finalists when the competition had an exclusively knockout format, wasted a great chance to equalise 17 minutes from time.

A Tetouan defender handled inside the box, but Senegalese Souleymane Cisse had his penalty kick brilliantly parried to safety by goalkeeper Mohamed El Yousfi.

Hilal attacked repeatedly in the closing stages, forcing El Yousfi into several excellent saves.

The result left Mazembe, Hilal and Tetouan sharing top place with five points each while Smouha of Egypt have three.