Club Africain oust TP Mazembe to reach TotalEnergies CAF Champions League Group Stage; Late joy for MAS Fes; Al Hilal and Nouadhibou Qualify
Tunisia’s Club Africain qualified to the TotalEnergies CAF Champions League Group Stage, beating five-time champions TP Mazembe of DR Congo, while Moroccan Champions MAS Fes scored seven minutes into second half injury time to shock Ivoirian giants ASEC Mimosas and qualify to the group stage.
Sudanese giants Al Hilal eased their way past Ethiopia’s Sidama Bunna to reach the next round, with Mauritania’s FC Nouadhibou completing the group stage pack securing their spot over Cote d’Ivoire’s FC San Pedro.
Club Africain return
Tunisian giants Club Africain returned to the Group Stage for the first time since 2018-19 season, after recording a remarkable victory over 5-time champions TP Mazembe of DR Congo.
Club Africain returned from Lubumbashi with a valuable 1-1 draw last weekend and completed the job at Hamadi Agrebi Stadium on Sunday to reach the all-important Group Stage.
Taddeus Nkeng scored what proved to be the game’s lone goal at the brink of halftime to send the 1991 champions back to the group stage after 8 years of absence.
Late joy for MAS, shock for ASEC
It was a very late joy for MAS Fes who were on the conceding end in injury time last weekend as ASEC Mimosas forced them to a 1-1 draw in Fes. But this time, MAS scored seven minutes after the 90th minute mark to shock their Ivoirian hosts and reach the group stage in a frenzy mood.
After a goalless first half, Christopher Ibayi put MAS Fes, who were crowned Moroccan “Botola” champions last season ahead at the Felix Houphouet Boigny Stadium in Abidjan.
Kevin Bakera restored parity after 73 minutes, and a penalty shootout looked inevitable when the seven added minutes of injury time were about to end, just for Khalid Baba to score a last-gasp winner for MAS Fes that left ASEC Mimosas fans and players in mere shock.
MAS Fes celebrated wildly and will now wait to know their group stage opponents when the draw is made next Wednesday.
Al Hilal ease to the group stage
Sudanese giants Al Hilal eased their path to the lucrative Group Stage when they repeated their first leg 2-0 win over Ethiopia’s Sidama Bunna at the Amahoro Stadium in Kigali, Rwanda to qualify with an aggregate 4-0 victory.
Ernest Luzolo Sita put Al Hilal ahead after 33 minutes, and Mohamed Abdel Rahman doubled the lead five minutes into 1st half injury time.
There was no more action after the break as Al Hilal secured their group stage birth in style.
Remarkable comeback for Nouadhibou
In Nouakchott, Mauritania’s FC Nouadhibou completed a remarkable comeback to beat Cote d’Ivoire’s FC San Pedro 2-0 on the night and reach the group stage with an aggregate 3-2 win.
After losing the 1st leg 2-1 in San Pedro, Nouadhibou had to win to qualify and they made so in style at Cheikha Ould Bedia Stadium.
Kartier Dembele gave Nouadhibou the lead as early as the 10th minute, and Cheikh Hattab doubled the Mauritanian champions lead to achieve the needed victory and reach the group stage for the second time in their history.