Gor Mahia took a step towards becoming the first Kenyan side to reach the group stage of the African Champions League with a 3-1 win over Nigeria's Lobi Stars.
Rwandan Jacques Tuyisenge gave Gor a sixth-minute lead in Nairobi with Samuel Onyango increasing the lead midway through the first half.
Samuel Kadiri pulled an important away goal back for Lobi only for Onyango to score again before half-time.
Confederation Cup runners-up AS Vita Club of the DR Congo look set for the group stage after hammering minnows Bantu of Lesotho 4-1 in Kinshasa.
Jean-Marc Makusu, runner-up in the Confederation Golden Boot race last season with 11 goals, bagged a brace for the Congolese.
Tunisia's Club Africain, who were African champions 27 years ago, came from behind to defeat Al Hilal of Sudan 3-1 in the Tunis suburb of Rades.
The hosts had the narrowest of leads until Oussema Darragi scored a potentially crucial third goal one minute into stoppage time.
Ismaili, whose 1969 triumph was the first in the competition by an Egyptian club, won 2-0 at home to Coton Sport of Cameroon with Baher el Mohamadi and Karim Bambo scoring.
Five-time African champions TP Mazembe of DR Congo only a 1-0 win over Zambian club Zesco United in Lubumbashi with an early Jackson Muleka goal separating the sides.
Mamelodi Sundowns, who two years ago became the second South African winners of the Champions League, drew 0-0 away to Al Ahly Benghazi of Libya in Cairo.
Benghazi were forced to move the fixture to the Egyptian capital because of militia violence in their country.
AS Otoho of Congo Brazzaville, who shocked 2018 semi-finalists Primeiro Agosto of Angola in the preliminary round, were held 1-1 at home by FC Platinum of Zimbabwe.
Mamane Cisse gave the hosts an 18th-minute lead in the northern town of Owando and Lameck Namho levelled three minutes after half-time.
The 15-second legs are scheduled for this Saturday and Sunday while defending champions Esperance of Tunisia received a bye into the December 28 group draw.
Saturday's matches
Former winners Orlando Pirates of South Africa were left fighting for survival after being held to a 0-0 draw at home by minnows African Stars of Namibia on Saturday.
The clubs meet again next Saturday in the second leg of the round-of-30 tie with Pirates coach Milutin 'Micho' Sredojevic convinced they can do better in Windhoek than in Soweto.
The hosts dominated Stars at Orlando Stadium, but a host of wasted chances - including from Zambian Justin Shonga, left Pirates with a much tougher return match than originally anticipated.
"I am satisfied that we did not concede a goal, but absolutely not satisfied with the result of a match we should have won comfortably," said Serbia-born Micho.
"It will not be easy in Namibia because we must play on an artificial surface, which is a rare experience for us, but I am convinced Pirates will qualify for the group stage."
Wydad Casablanca of Morocco and ASEC Mimosas took significant steps toward sealing places in the 16-club mini-league phase.
Wydad defeated ASC Jaraaf of Senegal 2-0 at home in Casablanca while ASEC won 1-0 away to Stade Malien in Bamako.
Liberia captain William Jebor gave two-time winners Wydad an early lead before a huge crowd who endured an anxious wait until three minutes from time before Mohamed Nahiri doubled the lead.
Malien are making a 16th attempt to qualify for the group stage and appear doomed to fail once again after conceding a stoppage-time goal against ASEC.
Ahmed Toure, one of several Burkina Faso stars with the Abidjan outfit, scored the goal that leaves 1998 champions ASEC needing just a draw at home to progress.
In other matches on Saturday, Nkana of Zambia edged Simba of Tanzania 2-1 in Kitwe and JS Saoura of Algeria triumphed 2-0 against Ittihad Tanger of Morocco in Bechar.
Egyptian giants Al Ahly were among the sides to feature on Friday.
Source: BBC