African football briefs on Monday:

ASEC win stormy Abidjan showdown

ABIDJAN: Defending champions ASEC beat leaders Stade Abidjan 1-0 in a stormy Ivory Coast league clash. Igor Lolo scored the 79th-minute winner after seven players had been cautioned and Olivier Tia of Stade sent off.

USMA almost there in Algeria

ALGIERS: A late Moncef Ouichaoui goal gave USMA a 1-0 win over JSM Bejaia and they need just one point from three matches to retain the Algerian league title. Glamour club JS Kabylie are among the contenders for second spot.

Canon Yaounde hit the target

YAOUNDE: Francois Omar snatched the goal that earned title holders Canon Yaounde a 1-0 victory in a top-of-the-table clash at Cotonsport Garoua and a one-point advantage after 13 rounds.

Pirates set for South African success

JOHANNESBURG: Former African champions Orlando Pirates triumphed 2-0 at Lamontville Golden Arrows and need four points from three games to win the South African Premiership for the second time in three seasons.

Traore is toast of Yennenga

OUAGADOUGOU: ASFA Yennenga retained the Burkina Faso championship with a 1-0 triumph over Etoile Filante in the penultimate round. Moussa Traore scored the crucial goal 15 minutes into the second half.

Bidoudane brace opens Moroccan title race

RABAT: Mustapha Bidoudane struck twice as Raja Casablanca won 3-1 at Hassania Agadir and threw the Moroccan title race open. Hassania and Meknes share top spot and Raja lie fifth, six points behind with seven rounds left.

Ugandan club bans star defender

KAMPALA: Leading Ugandan club Kampala City Council have suspended national team defender Abubaker Tabula for 90 days due to indiscipline and a negative attitude towards the club, media reports said.

Angolan leaders Petro slip up

LUANDA: Angolan championship pacesetters Petro Atletico were surprisingly held 1-1 at home by struggling Academica Lobito, but kept a three-point advantage over title holders AS Aviacao.

Benin change coaches after drubbing

COTONOU: Ghanaian Jones Attuquayefio has been appointed coach of Benin in succession to Belgian Rene Taelman, whose contract was not renewed after a shock 3-0 African Nations Cup qualifying loss in Sudan.

Esperance on top in Tunis derby

TUNIS: Champions Esperance pipped arch rivals Club Africain 1-0 in a Tunis derby thanks to a late goal from Ivorian Jean-Marc Bene. The Blood and Gold lead Etoile Sahel by 19 points with one round left.

Cup minnows make mark in Senegal

DAKAR: Holders AS Douanes are the sole big name club to reach the Senegal FA Cup semi-finals with Dakar University, Stade Mbour and lower division ASC Thies completing the line-up.

Ahly cling to narrow lead over Zamalek

CAIRO: Al-Ahly clung to a two-point lead over fierce rivals Zamalek with three rounds left in the Egyptian championship. Ahly overcame Tersana 2-0 at home while Zamalek triumphed 3-0 at Arab Contractors.