Soccer-Sfaxien score potentially key away goal in semi-final tie

Sept 21 (Reuters) - Ali Maaloul scored 20 minutes from time on Sunday to give CS Sfaxien a potentially vital away goal as they bid to reach the African Champions League final at the expense of AS Vita Club of the Democratic Republic of Congo. Vita were on their way to building up a decent lead to take to next weekend's second leg after Mubele Ndombe and Luvumbu Nzinga had them 2-0 up by the 54th minute in Kinshasa. Tunisia's Sfaxien, coached by Frenchman Philippe Troussier, are the only one of the four semi-finalists never to have previously won Africa's top club prize. Abdelmalek Ziaya scored a late winner on Saturday as Algeria's Entente Setif came back to beat TP Mazembe, also from DR Congo, 2-1 in the first leg of their semi-final, played behind closed doors in the Algerian city. Spectators were banned by the Confederation of African Football after a spate of unruly incidents in recent Champions League games. Setif now take their precarious lead to Lubumbashi where Mazembe will be seeking to reach the final for the third time in six years. (Reporting by Mark Gleeson in Cape Town; Editing by Mark Meadows; mark.gleeson@thomsonreuters.com +27828257807 Messaging mark.gleeson.thomsonreuters.com@reuters.net; l)