07 June 2015 11:07
Ghana’s Hearts of Oak failed to advance to the mini-league stage of the 2015 Orange CAF Confederation Cup following a one-all draw with Esperance De Tunis in the reverse fixture of the 1/8th round playoff on Saturday.
Hearts who lost the first leg 4-0 in Rades near Tunis, began the match confident of overturning the deficit and gave the followers a measure of hope by going ahead in the third minute through Isaac Mensah.
Mensah darted to plant himself well in the visitors’ defence to tower above his markers and head home to send the stadium agog.
The homers appeared on course to winning the match they had dubbed “The Miracle of Accra”.
Sensing danger, Esperance strategized, to slow down the adrenalin in the Phobians and succeeded in that quest though the homers still created chances in between play.
Hearts came close to doubling the advantage in the 25th and 31st minutes respectively but the efforts from Foovi Aguidi and Paul Acquah were dealt well by the Tunisians goalkeeper, Ben Cherifa.
Soon, it was substitute Gilbert Fiamenyo and Emmanuel Hayford who were gifted with fine opportunities to score only to waste the efforts to the disappointment of their supporters.
Esperance who hinged their strategy on occasional counter attacks lead by Samuel Ndouk managed to create a few headaches for the host.
The approach yielded results for the ‘Blood and Gold’ as they survived a Hearts invasion, broke away with a swift attack led by Ndouk.
Ndouk picked out unmarked Wassim Naghouch who fired into the roof of the net to pull his side level.
The Tunisians thus qualify on 5-1 aggregate and reach the last eight of the second-tier continental club championship.
Elsewhere, AC Leopards of Congo squeezed through despite suffering a 3-1 loss against Nigerian campaigners, Warri Wolves, advancing 4-3 on aggregate.
South Africa’s Orlando Pirates made a triumphant entry into the mini-league stage after courtesy a 4-1 thumping of AS Kaloum of Guinea in Johannesburg. The Buccaneers as the Soweto-based club are nicknamed progressed 6-1 on aggregate.
Results
Saturday, 6 June 2015
Hearts of Oak (Ghana) 1-1 Esperance (Tunisia) (0-4)
Warri Wolves (Nigeria) 3-1 AC Leopards (Congo) (0-3)
Orlando Pirates (South Africa) 4-1 AS Kaloum (Guinea) (2-0)
Sunday, 7 June 2015
Club Africain (Tunisia) vs Ahly (Egypt) (1-2)
ASEC Mimosas (Cote d’Ivoire) vs CS Sfaxien (Tunisia) (0-2)
Zamalek (Egypt) vs Sanga Balande (DR Congo) (0-1)
Etoile du Sahel (Tunisia) vs Raja Athletic Club (Morocco) (0-2)
AS Vita (DR Congo) vs Stade Malien (Mali) (0-2)
Confederation of African Football (CAF) News
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