JOHANNESBURG, Sept 20 Kano Pillars of Nigeria snatched a 1-1 draw at Al-Merreikh of Sudan this weekend to qualify for the African Champions League semi-finals as Group 'A' winners.They finished one point ahead of Al-Hilal of Sudan, who also advanced to the penultimate state despite a 2-0 loss at Zesco United of Zambia in another final-round mini-league match.

Heartland of Nigeria are assured of finishing among the top two in Group B and the other place rests between Tout Puissant Mazembe of the Democratic Republic of Congo and Etoile Sahel of Tunisia, who clash later Sunday.

Pillars left it late in Omdurman with substitute Joseph Thompson levelling two minutes from full-time after Retshard Lado had put bottom-of-the-table Merreikh ahead from the penalty spot midway through the first half.

Appearing in the premier African club competition for the first time, Kano were shock qualifiers for the group phase at the expense of title holders Al-Ahly of Egypt.

Win-less Merreikh proved a major disappointment, finishing bottom with just three points of a possible 18 despite a spending spree that netted leading 2008 Champions League scorer Stephen Worgu from Enyimba of Nigeria.

Worgu scored 13 goals in the competition last year, but did not manage even one in 12 outings this season for Merreikh, who also changed coaches during the group phase without success.

Zesco avenged an away loss to Hilal by scoring a couple of late goals from substitutes Enock Sakala and Nicholas Zulu in Lusaka and finished third with eight points, two less than the Omdurman club.

Veteran Sakala nodded in a Leonard Silungwe cross on 72 minutes and Zulu struck six minutes later after slick passing had carved open the Sudanese rearguard.

Results

Group 'A'

At Lusaka

Zesco Utd 2 Al-Hilal 0

At Omdurman, Sudan

Al-Merreikh 1 Kano Pillars 1

—AFP