Securing their berth with a confident display, Masry clinched the second spot in Group D with a total of nine points, trailing behind table-toppers Zamalek, who also secured a quarterfinal spot with a five-point lead.

Maintaining a crucial four-point advantage over Nigeria's Enyimba in third place, Black Bulls found themselves at the bottom of the group standings with four points.

Ben Youssef initiated the scoring for Masry with a precise header from close range, capitalizing on a splendid cross from Karim Bambo.

The former Carthage Eagle striker then doubled the lead in the 42nd minute with a clinical right-footed finish from the heart of the box.

He completed his hat-trick three minutes later with another composed right-footed strike from the left side of the box, finding the bottom left corner with finesse.

Black Bulls managed to pull one back through Rume Akporoh, who netted a goal in the 57th minute with a well-placed right-footed shot after an assist by Khadre Gueye.

Despite dominating the first half, Masry faced early setbacks, missing a penalty kick just 13 minutes into the game as Hassan Ali struck the right post with a left-footed effort.

In the second half, Masry's coach Ali Maher brought new blood into the pitch to maintain their dominance and secure their passage to the knockout stage.

(For more sports news and updates, follow Ahram Online Sports on Twitter at @AO_Sports and on Facebook at AhramOnlineSports.)