Africa Cup of Nations star Sunday Mba could not save Nigerian club Enugu Rangers from CAF Champions League elimination this weekend.
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Enugu lost 3-1 at Recreativo Libolo of Angola in a last-16 second leg after a goalless first encounter and instead of a place in the lucrative group phase, dropped to the second-tier Confederation Cup.
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Midfielder Mba was a revelation of the 2013 Cup of Nations in South Africa, scoring the winning goals in the final against Burkina Faso and the shock quarterfinals triumph over hotly fancied Ivory Coast.
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But a transfer wrangle between Warri Wolves and Enugu prevented him playing for his new club until this weekend and he scored on debut at the Estadio Municipal in Calulo 380 kilometres south-east of Luanda.
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Goals from Senegalese Henri Camara and Dario Cardoso gave Libolo a two-goal halftime advantage and Mba halved the deficit on 57 minutes with a scorching shot from outside the box.
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But Cardoso converted a controversial penalty after goalkeeper Chigozie Agbim collided with Dorivaldo Dias 18 minutes from time to take Libolo into the mini-league stage for the first time.
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"I am happy with my performance against Libolo and scoring was great," Mba told reporters.
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"However, the value of the goal was diluted by our failure to reach the group phase."
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Enugu coach Okey Omordi, who led Enyimba to the 2004 Champions League title, had mixed feelings after the last Nigerian hope of glory in the premier African club competition this season vanished.
Too bad for Enugu Rangers. The goal should have saved them but the other players were not up to the challenge at all