Raja Casablanca and defending champions Esperance will progress into the Caf Champions League  quarter-finals after a 2-2 Group D draw at Stade Olympique de Rades.

The Moroccans almost snatched an away win but substitute Fedi Ben Choug levelled for Esperance nine minutes from time.

Cameroonian defender Fabrice Ngah had cancelled Abdelraouf Benguit’s first-half opener for Esperance before Badr Banoun sent the Casablanca giants ahead but Choug then cancelled their lead.

The result in Rades spelt doom for AS Vita who earlier in the day had thought they had revived their Last Eight hopes with a 4-1 victory over JS Kabylie in Kinshasa.

An impressive second-half display that cracked Kabylie was however not enough for Vita to keep alive their quarter-finals hopes as they were praying for Raja to lose and then beat the Moroccans in their final match away.

After Rezki Hamroune hit back for Kabylie to record a half-time draw following Djuma Shabani’s opener for Vita from the penalty spot, the Congolese giants came fired-up from the breather to rip apart Kabylie.

Yannick Bangala Litombo, Ernest Sita and Fiston Mayele all scored within 15 minutes to finish off Kabylie.

Meanwhile, Sudanese giants Al Hilal boosted their chances of reaching the quarter-finals from Group B following a 1-0 away win over bottom-placed FC Platinum   in Bulawayo.

Mohamed Eldai scored six minutes from time to condemn the Platinum Miners to another defeat as they remain winless in 11 straight Caf Champions League group games since last season.

For Al Hilal, they will spend Saturday night on top of Group B with nine points pending the result between Al Ahly and Etoile du Sahel on Sunday.

In Group A, Zesco United and Primeiro Agosto played to a 1-1 draw at Levy Mwanawasa Stadium but the result did not count for much as both sides are already out of contention for the next stage.

Winston Kalengo and Ary Papel were on target for Zesco and Agosto respectively as both sides remain winless going into the final group game.

TP Mazembe and Zamalek , who clashed on Friday, have qualified for the quarter-finals from this pool.

Elsewhere, already-qualified Mamelodi Sundowns   quest to finish as Group C leaders will have to wait for confirmation in their last match after they drew 2-2 with Petro Atletico away.

To finish tops, Downs will have to avoid defeat to Wydad Casablanca   whom they host next weekend and a draw would be enough for them to achieve that.Article continues below

Motjeka Madisha’s injury-time goal salvaged a point for Sundowns against Petro Atletico.

Gaston Sirino had thrust Pitso Mosimane’s side ahead but Agosto pulled back through Job before Rwandan forward Jacques Tuyisenge gave them the lead.

Agosto are already out of the tournament together with USM Alger while Wydad have also qualified for the Last Eight and just like Downs they are also unbeaten in this group.