Nigerians Enyimba are staring at a second successive early exit from the CAF Champions League after building just a 1-0 first-leg lead over Egyptians Smouha at the weekend.

The 2003 and 2004 winners of the premier African club competition would have hoped for a wider round-of-32 winning margin ahead of an early April return match in Mediterranean city Alexandria.

Raphael Boumsong broke the deadlock on 55 minutes in south-eastern city Aba with his first Champions League goal this season.

Enyimba were shock last-32 stage casualties last year, losing on away goals to Malians Real Bamako.

And African debutants Smouha will take comfort from the fact that they trailed 1-0 after the first leg of a preliminary tie against Libyans Al-Ahly Tripoli, reversed the score at home and won on penalties.

Tunisian challengers Esperance and CS Sfaxien triumphed on the road and are virtually assured of last-16 places.

Ghanaian Harrison Afful scored two minutes from time to give two-time champions Esperance a 1-0 win over Cameroonians Cosmos Bafia in Atlantic city Douala.

Sfaxien, who reached the semi-finals last year under since-departed French coach Philippe Troussier, wreaked havoc in Togo by winning 5-0 against Semassi Sokode.

The west Africans were in trouble from the eighth minute when Egbuina Ifeanyi conceded an own goal and Maher Hannachi doubled the lead by half-time.

Taha Yassine Khenissi claimed the third goal and a late brace from Borhene Hkimi completed a surprisingly one-sided victory.

While never serious CAF title contenders, Togolese clubs are generally competitive at home.

Algerians USM Alger and Sudanese Al-Hilal used home advantage to achieve four-goal victories.

USM came from behind to trounce Senegalese Pikine 5-1 despite having Rachid Nadji red-carded 12 minutes into the second half.

After Thierno Niang put the visitors ahead, goals by Nassim Bouchema and Kaddour Beldjilali nudged USM in front by half-time.

Mohamed Rabie Meftah scored before and after Nadji was sent off, and Youssef Belaili also found the net when the Algiers outfit were a man short.

Hilal put unimpressive preliminary-round form behind them by hammering Malawians Big Bullets 4-0 in Omdurman.

Mudather ‘Careca’ Al-Tayeb scored early in each half and the other goals came via Burkinabe Boubacar Kebe and Nizar Hamed.

Perennial African campaigners Hilal struggled to overcome Zanzibar outfit KMKM to reach the round of 32.

After squeezing past the preliminary round, Kenyans Gor Mahia appeared doomed having lost 1-0 at home to Congo Brazzaville outfit AC Leopards.

National squad midfielder Cesaire Gandze won the game with a goal five minutes after half-time in Nairobi.

A delayed fixture between Moroccans Moghreb Tetouan and Nigerians Kano Pillars is scheduled for this weekend and the 16 second legs will be played over the April 3-5 weekend.