CAF Champions League trophy-holders Esperance of Tunisia were held 0-0 by V Club of the Democratic Republic of Congo on Friday, 10 days after scoring six goals in the Club World Cup.

The result at the Stade Olympique in Rades near Tunis was unexpected as Esperance had also won their previous two Group D matches while V Club had lost twice.

A frustrating night for the defending champions culminated in star forward Hamdou Elhouni from Libya being substituted by Algerian Billel Bensaha midway through the second half.

Elhouni scored a hat-trick last week in a 6-2 hammering of Al Sadd from host nation Qatar in a Club World Cup fifth-place play-off.

Esperance are chasing a record third consecutive Champions League title this season after victories over Al Ahly of Egypt and Wydad Casablanca of Morocco in the last two finals.

Ahly and TP Mazembe of the Democratic Republic of Congo (twice each), Enyimba of Nigeria and Esperance have won back-to-back Champions League competitions.

While Esperance could not turn dominance into goals, second-place Raja Casablanca of Morocco closed the gap to one point in Group D with a 2-0 home win over JS Kabylie of Algeria.

Esperance have seven points, Raja six, Kabylie three and V Club one halfway through the six-round mini-league schedule with the top two finishers qualifying for the quarter-finals.

Backed by a huge passionate flag-waving crowd in the 60,000-seat Stade Mohammed V in Casablanca, Raja scored twice within three minutes early in the second half.

Soufiane Rahimi created the first goal for DR Congo-born Ben Malango and scored the second himself as three-time champions Raja took control.

It was the third goal for Rahimi in the Champions League this season and the first for Malango, who is in his maiden season with the Moroccan club after moving from Mazembe.

Outclassed at home by Esperance on matchday one, Raja have recovered impressively with an away win over V Club preceding the victory over twice champions Kabylie.

Mazembe were another club to surrender a 100 percent group record this season after drawing 1-1 away to Primeiro Agosto of Angola at the Estadio 11 de Novembro in Luanda.

However, the Congolese club based in second city Lubumbashi, remain top of Group A with seven points while Zamalek of Egypt have three, Primeiro two and Zesco United of Zambia one.

Zesco host five-time champions Zamalek Saturday in Ndola and need maximum points to retain a realistic chance of reaching the quarter-finals.

Former Zambia winger Rainford Kalaba put Mazembe in front on eight minutes by heading a cross past goalkeeper Tony Cabaca.

Cristovao Mabululu levelled four minutes later, smashing a loose ball into the net after Ivory Coast-born Mazembe goalkeeper Sylvain Gbohouo parried a powerful header.