Zimbabwe champions Dynamos are likely to face Caf Champions League defending champions Esprance of Tunisia in the second round of the competition after both teams recorded good away draws.
Dynamos drew 2-2 against Liga Muulmano of Mozambique while Esprance also managed a 1-1 draw against Brikama of Gambia away.
Zimbabwes other representatives in the Champions League, FC Platinum, were held to a 2-2 draw by El Merreikh of Sudan and will need an away win to progress.
Their likely opponents could be two-time champions TP Mazembe of the Democratic Republic of Congo, who forced a 1-1 draw against Power Dynamos of Zambia.
The last time Dynamos and Esprance met was in the group stages of the same competition on September 18 2010, when they were felled 1-0 at Rufaro through an Oussama Darragi strike in the 22nd minute, having lost the reverse fixture by the same scoreline.
Zimbabwe international striker Edward Sadomba was on target in the 54th minute as Al Hilal handed Central African Republics DFC 9me Arrondissement a 3-0 drubbing in an away fixture.
Other goals came from Mudather Eltaib Careca (15th) and Bakri Almadina (68th).
Sadomba was the leading scorer with seven goals in last years competition.
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lMeanwhile, Zimbabwes remaining representatives in the Caf Confederation Cup, Hwange, fancy their chances of making it to the next stage of the continental showcase despite being held to a 1-1 draw by Sudans Al-Amal Atbara at the Colliery on Sunday.
Hwange let in an easy goal seven minutes into the first half and a few minutes later, left-back Munyaradzi Mungadze was shown the red card, dealing the coalminers a heavy blow as they had sought to make an impression in the first leg of the tournament in front of their home crowd.
However, after the match, head coach Nation Dube was confident that they can turn the tables when the two sides meet in the second leg of the competition at the Stade Al-Amal Atbara in North Sudan on the weekend of April 6-8.
It was from Mungadzes flank that the early Al-Amal goal emanated as the defender was jittery from the outset of the match and the visitors captain Adam Saer Adam Mahbob struck to put the Sudanese ahead.
Hwange technical manager Tennant Chilumba had his former captain Gerald Ndlovu warming up from the bench in the first 15 minutes of the match in apparent indication that Mungadze would not last.
But before the tall defender could be pulled out, he was sent for an early shower in the 24th minute by Malawian referee Raphael Anthony for a second bookable offence after he had initially fouled Mahbob in the 12th minute and was adjudged to have deliberately handled 12 minutes later.
It was a big blow to Hwanges game plan as they had sought not to concede any goals at home and score as many goals as possible, but after Mungadze was red-carded, Chilumba had to take out midfielder Nkosana Siwela and replace him with former skipper Ndlovu to reinforce the defence.
Al-Amal played a more defensive game after they had scored that solitary goal, attacking on the counter-raid with Mahbob, who terrorised the left flank at will.
Hwange were dealt yet another blow a minute before the end of the first half as right-back Tonisani Sibelo had to be pulled out after he sustained an injury in the 35th minute with striker Winston Mhango coming in.
In the 70th minute, veteran forward Gilbert Zulu was introduced for Francisco Zvikumbawire and the offensive on the Sudanese continued, but the killer-punch was lacking.
But Dube was quick to point out: The key area that we have to work on now is finishing. We still have a chance to make it in the competition. Captain Rodwell Chinyengetere came to Hwanges rescue in the 43rd minute with a beautiful header to make it 1-1.
Chinyengetere, a midfielder, has led by example in the coalminers camp, scoring in every match that Chipangano has so far played in 2012 Confederation Cup.
He was on target in the 3-0 thrashing of Zanzibars Jamhuri in the first leg of the preliminary round at Gombani Stadium in Pemba and registered his name on the score sheet in the 4-1 drubbing of the Indian Ocean islanders in the second leg at the Colliery, scoring once more on Sunday against Al-Amal Atbara.
