Nkana trounced San Pedro of Ivory Coast 3-0 on Saturday boosting the chances of both Zambian sides reaching the group stage after the return matches.

Lazarous Kambole, whose five-minute hat-trick last season is the fastest in an African club match, put Zesco ahead midway through the opening half in Ndola.

Kenyan Jesse Were soon doubled the lead before Zimbabwean Khama Billiat struck for Kaizer Chiefs.

Were netted again early in the second half and Billiat had a goal ruled offside before Kambole missed a sitter for the home side.

The return match will be in Soweto this Saturday and Nkana play in Abidjan 24 hours later.

Asante Kotoko, runners-up to fellow Ghanaians Hearts of Oak in the first Confederation Cup final 15 years ago, are poised to advance after a 3-2 win over Coton Sport in Cameroon.

The Kumasi outfit twice built two-goal advantages in Yaounde before a 71st-minute Lambert Araina goal for the home side set up a tense finish.

Nigerians Enugu Rangers, are also well placed thanks to a 2-1 victory over Bantu in Lesotho.

Bright Silas and Godwin Aguda scored their fourth goals in the competition this season for Rangers before Lazola Jokojokwana pulled one back in the final minute.

Egyptians Zamalek, held Ittihad Tanger to a 0-0 draw in Morocco and will be favourites to win the tie on aggregate.

Kenyans Gor Mahia could only manage a narrow 2-1 win against New Star from Cameroon in Nairobi.

Rwandan Jacques Tuyisenge scored the winner three minutes from time, but conceding an equaliser to Benjamin Bechem midway through the second half may come back to haunt Gor.

Away goals count double in the event of a draw on aggregate and a 1-0 win for the Cameroonians in Limbe will take them through.

AS Otoho from Congo Brazzaville and Sudanese Al Hilal established 3-0 home leads over Kampala Capital City Authority from Uganda and Rwandans Mukura Victory respectively.

Moroccans Hassania Agadir appear set to progress after Zouhair Chaouch scored in a 1-0 win over Ethiopians Jimma Aba Jifar in Addis Ababa.

Libyans Al Nasr took a slender 1-0 lead over giantkillers Salitas from Burkina Faso - who shocked Egyptians Al Masry last month - in a first leg moved from Benghazi to Cairo because of the security situation in Libya.