Former continental club champions, ASEC Mimosas and Etoile du Sahel have made the last eight of the 2014 Orange CAF Confederation Cup.
ASEC, 1988 winners of the prestigious CAF Champions League, completed a double over South African side, Kaizer Chiefs courtesy a lone goal win to make a first appearance at the group phase of a major continental club championship since 2011.
Foba Stevens Koffi scored the only goal of the match on 76 minutes in Abidjan to hand the Ivorians a 3-2 aggregate win and a ticket into the last eight of the second tier African clubs championship.
Etoile, champions in 2006 had to wait till six minutes from time for Hamza Lahmar to score the only goal against Horoya of Guinea in the Tunisian Mediterranean resort city of Sousse. The ‘Diables Rouges’ advanced 1-0 on aggregate.
However, it was the opposite for fellow Tunisians, Club Athletic Bizertin, which were ousted after a 1-1 draw with visiting Nkana of Zambia. Derrick Mwanza scored the vital away goal for the Zambian champions on 79 minutes, canceling Khaderi Med Arbi’s 20th minute opener. Nkana, also the only surviving club from the Southern African region advanced on the away goal rule after the tie ended 1-1.
Cameroonian champions, Coton Sport pulled off a shocking 2-2 draw in Luanda against Petro Atletico to go through. The Garoua-based club came back twice in the game to stun their hosts and progress 4-3 on aggregate. Antonio Nzayinawo shot Petro into the lead after 10 minutes but veteran Daouda Kamilou drew level six minutes later. Senegalese Keita Ladji put the Angolans in the lead yet again on 52 minutes before Cedric Djeugoue equalized five minutes from time.
It was heartbreak for Ghana’s Medeama, bowing out to AC Leopards of Congo on penalties. Goalkeeper Muntari Tagoe and Hans Kwofie scored late in the game to force the encounter held in the port city of Sekondi into penalties, but it was the Congolese who laughed last with a 5-4 win via kicks from the spot.
Elsewhere in Bamako, Djoliba and AS Real played out a barren game, but the latter marched on 2-1 on aggregate.
Earlier on Saturday, Egyptian giants Ahly and Sewe Sport of Cote d’Ivoire were the first to book their ticket into the last eight.
Al Ahly struck at the death through Ahmed Raouf to secure a historic place at the group phase of the Orange CAF Confederation Cup.
Moroccan campaigners, Difaa Hassani El Jadida were on the path to victory thanks to second half strikes from Ahmed Chagou and Gabon-import Johan Lengoualama, only for Raouf to douse their hopes with a stoppage time goal.
Ahly, record winners of the premier continental club championship with eight triumphs, carried a lone goal win into the return encounter but advanced on the away goal rule after the tie ended 2-2 on aggregate.
Elsewhere in the port city of Sapele, Nigeria’s continental club championship dreams came to a stop after torchbearers Bayelsa United slump to a lone goal defeat to visiting Sewe Sport of Cote d’Ivoire.
Christian Kouam scored the only goal on 89 minutes, ensuring Sewe Sport passage into the next round 2-0 on aggregate.
The draw for the group phase of the Orange CAF Confederation Cup will be conducted on Tuesday, 29 April 2014 at 09h00 GMT at the CAF headquarters in Cairo, Egypt.
Fixtures
Saturday 26 April 2014
Difaa Hassani Êl Jadida (Morocco) 2-1 Al-Ahly (Egypt) (0-1)
Bayelsa Utd (Nigeria) 0-1 Séwé Sport (Côte d’Ivoire) (0-1)
Sunday 27 April 2104
Nkana FC (Zambie) 1-1 Club Athlétique Bizertin (Tunisia) (0-0)
Petro Atletico (Angola) 2-2 Coton Sport (Cameroon) (1-2)
Etoile du Sahel (Tunisia) 1-0 Horoya (Guinea) (0-0)
ASEC Mimosas (Côte d’Ivoire) 1-0 Kaizer Chiefs (South Africa) (1-2)
Medeama (Ghana) 2-0 (pk 4-5) AC Leopards (Congo) (0-2)
Djoliba (Mali) 0-0 AS Real (Mali) (1-2)
Confederation of African Football (CAF) News
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