04 May 2015 10:24
For the first time since 2010, Esperance will be missing from the group phase of the CAF Champions League.
The 2011 winners beat Sudanese side, El Merreikh 2-1 in their second leg clash on Sunday in Rades, but it was the visitors who progressed to the mini-league stage for the first time since 2009 on the way goal ruler after a 2-2 tie on aggregate.
It was the Omdurman-based club, which broke the deadlock after only 14 minutes through Ahmed Abdallah to stun the host crowd.
Esperance were dealt a blow as striker Ahmed Akaichi was pulled out on 38 minutes following a dislocated shoulder, which meant they had to wait longer in their quest for the equalizer.
Cameroon-import Yannick N’Djeng who replaced Sameh Derbali at the interval restored parity on 66 minutes.
They probed further for more goals but were denied by Uganda-born goalie of Merreikh, Jamal Salem, with some eye-popping saves. Their efforts yielded dividends in stoppage time through Arbi Jabeur, who headed home a pass from captain Oussama Darragi.
The ‘Blood and Bold’ kept the defence of Merreikh boiling during the five minutes of added-on time, but Diego Garzitto’s charge remained resolute and claim an unlikely passage to the last eight.
Reactions
Jose de Morais (Head Coach, Esperance)
Truthfully, I expected all these difficulties. We were dealing with a good team prepared for the CAF Champions League with six foreign players. Al Merreikh knows how to alternate short and long ball games and I congratulate them. I have heard a lot of criticism about Sameh Derbali. The goal we conceded complicated our task, but we had enough opportunities. Unfortunately, we could not convert them. Whether we win or lose, I’m always responsible. The players are frustrated.
Haythem Jouini (Striker, Esperance)
We greatly apologize to our fans for this early exit. We knew that, given the first-leg result, it would not be easy. In the CAF Champions League, you need maximum concentration, which was not the case today. Luck was not on our side. We gave everything but it was not enough to put smile on the faces of our fans. We missed too many chances and came back to score quite late. Our first half was non-existent but we recovered better. Now, we have to concentrate on the CAF Confederation Cup which will be more difficult regarding teams exiting the CAF Champions League. The Tunisian championship remains the target to save our season.
Confederation of African Football (CAF) News
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