AFRICAN CHAMPIONS LEAGUE 2015 - 2ND ROUND / 1ST LEG - all results

AFRICAN CHAMPIONS LEAGUE 2015

Ismael Kone scored twice in two minutes as Mali's Stade Malien snatched a dramatic 2:2 draw with Congolese club TP Mazembe in the African Champions League.

TP Mazembe, coached by Frenchman Patrice Carteron, were in full control in Bamako as their last 16, first leg clash entered the closing stages, having taken a 2:0 lead through Cheibane Traore and Daniel Adje.

But with Stade staring at defeat and almost certain elimination, Kone came to the rescue.

His goals after 74 and 75 minutes set up a thrilling climax, and offered Malien a glimmer of hope ahead of the return match at the start of May.

While Mazembe remain favourites to eliminate Stade, the tie between Sudanese El Merrikh and Tunisians Esperance is delicately-balanced.

A mid-first half goal from the penalty spot by Alaeddine Youssef gave Merrikh a 1:0 home victory in Omdurman.

Two-time African champions Esperance were considered the likelier overall winners ahead of the first leg, and remain the more probable qualifiers for the eight-club mini-league phase.

But failure to score any away goals could return to haunt the Tunisians when they host the second leg in Rades.

Another six first leg fixtures are scheduled for late Sunday when there will be a show of force by North African clubs.

Among them are defending champions Entente Setif, one of three Algerian sides involved in last-16, first-leg fixtures.

Record eight-time African champions Al Ahly, the Egyptian outfit who have twice won the competition in successive seasons, are also involved.

Algerians El Eulma and USMA, Tunisians CS Sfaxien, Moroccans Raja Casablanca and Moghreb Tetouan and Egyptians Smouha are all in action.

Regional derbies guarantee three North African qualifiers for the group phase and there could be six.

Eulma and Sfaxien, Tetouan and Ahly, and Raja and Setif square off, USMA host Guineans Kaloum, and Smouha are away to Congolese AC Leopards.

Sanga Balende have home advantage over Sudanese Al Hilal.

Clubs from the north have dominated the Champions League since its 1997 debut in place of the African Champions Cup, producing 12 of the 18 title-holders.

Setif visit Raja without goalkeeper Sofiane Khedairia, suspended after feigning injury to avoid playing a last-32 game against Real Banjul in Gambia.

Central Africa Republic and Raja midfielder Vivien Mabide admits there is huge pressure on the 'Green Devils' to build a first-leg lead.

"Only success in Africa can save our season after failing to win any domestic trophies," he said.

Visiting Ahly need to contain the other leading Champions League scorer, 29-year-old Mouhcine Iajour, whose five Tetouan goals included a hat-trick against Nigerians Kano Pillars.

Goalkeeper Sherif Ekramy, whose father was also an Ahly shot-stopper, will hope to foil Iajour, and two blank sheets against Rwandans APR in the previous round can only boost confidence.

Former Burkina Faso and Gabon coach Portuguese Paulo Duarte makes his Confederation of African Football club debut with 2006 Champions League runners-up Sfaxien at Eulma.

PLAYING FOR HIGH STAKES 

Overall winners of the ties advance to the lucrative group stage while the losers drop to the second-tier Confederation Cup.