Ethiopian club Welwalo Adigrat, forced to host a CAF Confederation Cup qualifier at the ground of Libyan rivals Al Ahly Tripoli on Friday, suffered a 4-0 first leg loss.

Adigrat is a university city in the northern Tigray region of Ethiopia, where government forces have clashed with rebels recently.

The fighting forced Welwalo to concede home advantage, and they fell to goals from Muaid Ellafi (14 minutes), Mohamed Tougai (21), Abdulaziz Ali (51) and Ezoo El Mariamy (90+7) in Tripoli.

Ahly Tripoli are a club to watch in the second-tier African competition this season as they have bolstered their squad with stars from outside Libya.

Mahmoud Mayele from the Democratic Repubic of Congo, South African Fagrie Lakay, Jean Claude Girumugisha from Burundi and Algerian Tougai are recent signings.

Egyptian Hossam El Badry, who guided Cairo club Al Ahly to victory in the 2012 CAF Champions League, coaches the Tripoli outfit.

African debutants ZED from Egypt were held 1-1 in Cairo by regular CAF campaigners AZAM in another second round, first leg.

Mahmoud Nabil put the hosts ahead just before halftime and Lusajo Mwaikenda levelled for the Dar es Salaam club on 59 minutes with a deflected shot from outside the box.