ASEC, Nouadhibou make history as Simba scrape through
Published:
ASEC Mimosas ended a five-year wait to reach the TotalEnergies CAF Champions League group stage after a hard-fought 2-1 win over Al Ahly Benghazi secured progress on away goals.
Mofosse Karidioula struck twice in Cote d'Ivoire as ASEC overturned Salem Roma's equaliser to triumph 2-1 on the day and 2-1 on aggregate.
There was also history made in Mauritania as FC Nouadhibou became the first club from the country to advance to the Champions League groups.
A 1-1 home draw with Real Bamako proved enough after last week's 3-0 first leg win.
#FFRIM 🚨| [1/2] Le @fcndbofficiel devient le premier club mauritanien 🇲🇷 à accéder à la phase de groupes de la Ligue africaine des champions @caf_online_FR après avoir validé sa qualification ce dimanche aux dépens des maliens du Real Bamako ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/UTitRBjAem
Elsewhere, Tanzanian side Simba SC scraped through on away goals despite being held 1-1 at home by Zambia's Power Dynamos. The tie finished 3-3 on aggregate after a 2-2 first leg draw.
Simba had to come from behind in Dar es Salaam as Andy Boyeli put Power Dynamos ahead after 17 minutes.
But Kondwani Chiboni's 68th minute own goal earned Simba a vital away goal to send them through by the finest of margins.
Sudanese club Al Hilal Omdurman qualified with a 2-1 home victory over Angola's Primero Agosto to go through 2-1 on aggregate.
Al Hilal built on a goalless first leg by establishing a 2-0 lead against Primero through first half goals from Yasser Muzamelan and Mohamed Abdelrahman.
Wilson Eduardo pulled one back late on but the Angolans fell just short.
The group stage line-up will be completed on Monday night as Algeria's CR Belouizdad host Sierra Leone's Bo Rangers defending a 1-0 first leg lead.
