Al Hilal Omdurman secured top spot in their group with a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Saint Eloi Lupopo in a tense encounter in Omdurman in the CAF Champions League.
Knowing that a win would guarantee first place regardless of results elsewhere, the Sudanese giants approached the contest with urgency.
Their breakthrough came in the 26th minute when Stephen Eboa unleashed a powerful low strike that beat the Lupopo goalkeeper, sending the home fans into celebration and settling early nerves.
The match, however, was anything but comfortable. Earlier in the 18th minute, Mohamed Abdel Rahman Gharbal had appealed for a penalty after going down inside the box, but the referee waved play on.
Lupopo’s task became even more difficult just before half-time when Bedi Junior was shown a second yellow card for pulling down an opponent, reducing the Congolese side to ten men.
Despite their numerical disadvantage, Lupopo continued to push forward and thought they had drawn level in the 72nd minute, only for the effort to be ruled out for offside.
Drama intensified four minutes later when Hilal were also reduced to ten men after Salah Adel received a straight red card in the 76th minute, setting up a nervy finale.
With both sides down to ten men, Lupopo threw everything forward in search of an equaliser, but Al-Hilal’s defence stood resolute.
The narrow victory not only secured all three points but also confirmed the Sudanese champions as group winners, capping off a disciplined and determined performance in front of their home supporters.