Saint George are on the verge of becoming the first team from Ethiopia to reach the group stages of an African continental club competition.

The team from Addis Ababa beat visiting Egyptian side ENPPI 2-0 on Sunday in the first leg of their play-off match for the Confederation Cup group stages.

Shimeles Bekele opened the scoring for Saint George after just four minutes and Abebaw Butako added the second 22 minutes later.

Also on Sunday former African champions TP Mazembe had a comfortable 4-0 win over Mozambique's Liga Muculmana in Lubumbashi.

Africa Cup of Nations star Sunday Mba will adjust his sights to the Confederation Cup this weekend as the contest for group places begins.

Mba's Nigerian club side Enugu Rangers host two-time winners CS Sfaxien of Tunisia on Sunday in the highlight of eight first leg play-off fixtures.

The 24-year-old midfielder scored the only goal of the Cup of Nations final to give the Super Eagles victory over against Burkina Faso in Soweto last February.

He also struck the winner in the shock quarter-final triumph over hot pre-tournament favourites Ivory Coast in South Africa.

Gabon president Ali Bongo on Wednesday congratulated the national team’s wonder kid Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, who was named winner of the Marc Vivien Foe Prize this week in France.

The president described the 23-year-old striker with Ligue 1 side Saint Etienne as a skilful player and hard worker who has brought pride and inspiration to the country’s youths.

“His technical qualities, dazzling intuitions, speed, ability to withstand the pressures of the biggest stadiums in the world, make him an exceptional player,” Bongo told reporters in Libreville.

“I hereby call on all Gabonese and African youths to emulate the example of Aubameyang, who keeps showing us the way to success.”

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang of Ligue 1 side Saint Etienne was announced winner of the 2013 edition of the Marc-Vivien Foe Prize on Wednesday in France.

The 23-year-old Gabon international striker scored 209 points to beat Cameroonian defender Nicolas Nkoulou, who raked 81 points and Burkina Faso’s Jonathan Pitroipa, 35.

Eleven candidates were shortlisted for the award, with 68 sport journalists participating in the final vote.

Aubameyang has scored 19 goals in 34 matches to sit behind the Ligue 1’s current top scorer Zlatan Ibrahimovich, who has netted 27.

Arouna Kone helped Wigan Athletic to a historic English FA Cup triumph on Saturday after they edged compatriot Yaya Toure's Manchester City 1:0 in the final.

Wigan's determination to lift the crown for the first time in their history was helped by the sending off of Argentine defender Pablo Zabaleta in the 84th minute.

Kone and Yaya played every moment of the thrilling game which was decided in the 91st minute when substitute Ben Watson headed home from a corner kick.

Toure came close to scoring early on, but his shot was turned away by Spain's U-21 star Joel Robles who was in goal for Wigan.

SuperSport United have been dumped out of the CAF Confederation Cup after a 3-1 loss to Egyptian side ENPPI at the Lucas Moripe Stadium on Saturday.

South African sides have had a notoriously lackadaisical attitude to CAF competitions in the past, but SuperSport has talked up their determination to do well this year.

Maluleka had SuperSport in front on 10 minutes though with a fantastic strike from just outside the box that flew into the top corner.

But the tie turned on two goals in as many minutes for the visitors just before halftime and Ivorian forward Vincent die Foneye got Ismaily both.

Saint-Etienne striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang was delighted to see his side lift the Coupe de la Ligue on Saturday.

A 1-0 win over Rennes gave Saint-Etienne their first major trophy since 1981, when they won the Ligue 1 title, and Aubameyang said he was happy to give the team's supporters something to shout about.

"All the fans have been waiting for this day and us as well," Aubameyang said.

"To be able to write a new page in the history of the club is just wonderful.

"Personally, I will never forget this moment and neither will anyone else in the team. We all get along very well together and we are one team."

SuperSport United goalkeeper Ronwen Williams saved a late penalty as the South African side claimed a 0-0 draw against ENPPI in Egypt in their CAF Confederation Cup second round, first leg on Friday night.

The home side were awarded a spot-kick on the stroke of 90 minutes, but Williams, who has been outstanding this season for Matsatsantsa, stood firm to make the save.

“It’s a great result for us away from home, they are the best team we have played in this competition so far,” SuperSport coach Gavin Hunt said.

Bevan Fransman saw his early effort well saved by the home goalkeeper, while Grant Kekana was forced to clear off the line.

There are five former African champions among the 16 hopefuls entering the final qualifying round this weekend for the CAF Confederation Cup.

And FAR Rabat and Wydad Casablanca of Morocco, ASEC Mimosas of Ivory Coast, Etoile Sahel of Tunisia and Ismaily of Egypt are favoured to win two-leg ties and reach play-offs against CAF Champions League last-16 losers.

CS Sfaxien of Tunisia have also experienced continental glory, being the only club to successfully defend the Confederation Cup, the second-tier African club competition loosely modelled on the Europa League.

Also in action will be US Bitam of Gabon, who scored a record 17 goals in a preliminary tie, and Liga Muculmana of Mozambique, whose 7-1 thrashing of Nigerian visitors Lobi Stars in Maputo was totally unexpected.

The Marc-Vivien Foe award, with the name of the former Cameroonian footballer who died in June 2003 at the Confederations Cup and rewarding since 3 years the best African player in Ligue 1 has announced its nominees for the 2013 edition.

Tunisia aligns three players; Aymen Abdennour (Tunisia, Toulouse FC), Wahbi Khazri (Tunisia, Bastia) and Saber Khelifa (Tunisia, Evian Thonon Gaillard). It is the largest contingent of nominees. Togo will count on the goalkeeper Kossi Agassa and the midfielder Romao Alaixys to win the title.

The favorites for the 2013 edition are undoubtedly the Gabonese Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang , author of 17 goals in Ligue 1 and the Cameroonian Nkoulou Nicolas of Marseille. Both players enjoyed a good season and are in the running for a place on the European stage next season.