Nairobi United stun Etoile to reach group stage, Al Masry defeat Al Ittihad to progress
Nairobi United knocked Tunisia’s Etoile du Sahel out of the TotalEnergies CAF Confederation Cup, winning 7–6 on penalties after a 2–2 aggregate draw to reach the group stage on their first attempt. .
The Kenyan side arrived in Sousse with a 2–0 cushion from the first leg, but ESS levelled the tie through Mohamed Anani’s strike on 48 minutes and a stoppage-time header from Ghofrane Naouali (90+6).
With no extra time, the shootout decided it—Nairobi holding their nerve to complete a landmark qualification.
The result is a shock exit for the North African heavyweights and leaves Tunisia without a representative in the groups after Stade Tunisien were also eliminated, 3–2 on aggregate, by Morocco’s Olympique de Safi.
For Nairobi United, the victory crowns a rapid rise. They earned their continental ticket by winning the Kenya Cup while securing promotion to Kenya’s top flight, and negotiated the first preliminary round on away goals against Uganda’s NEC FC (2–2 away, 1–1 home).
At the Ulinzi Complex, Nairobi had stunned ESS 2–0 in the first leg; the return brought fierce pressure but a composed shootout. Now the club, Kenya’s sole continental representative this season, advances to the Confederation Cup group stage—an achievement underlining their resilience and signalling growing ambition in Kenyan club football.
Meanwhile, Al Masry of Egypt booked their place in the TotalEnergies CAF Confederation Cup group stage with a 2–1 victory over Libya’s Al Ittihad on Sunday.
The second-leg tie, played at the New Suez Stadium, completed the second preliminary round and confirmed the Egyptians’ progress after a composed, front-foot display.
The hosts set the tone from the opening minutes, pressing high and looking for the breakthrough that would steady nerves.
Their intent was rewarded on 19 minutes when Algerian midfielder Abdelrahim Deghmoum ran clear and finished calmly past the goalkeeper to give Al Masry a deserved lead and control of the contest before half-time.
Al Masry maintained their grip after the interval, managing territory and tempo while limiting Al Ittihad’s threat.
The pressure told again in the 75th minute: Mahmoud Hamada reacted quickest to a loose ball inside the penalty area, guiding it into the net to double the advantage and put the Egyptians within touching distance of qualification.
A late twist arrived when the referee dismissed Salah Mohsen, leaving Al Masry to finish with 10 men. The numerical disadvantage encouraged the visitors forward and, shortly after, Nawfal Al-Tarhouni pulled one back to make it 2–1 and set up a tense finale.
Even so, disciplined defending and assured game management ensured the Libyan side could not find an equaliser.
The final whistle sparked celebrations among the home support as Al Masry confirmed their return to the continent’s group-stage mix.