Drama as African rookies win Caf Confederation Cup ties

[PHOTO: COURTESY]

African club football newcomers Deportivo Niefang of Equatorial Guinea, Energie of Benin, and La Mancha of Congo Brazzaville reached the Caf Confederation Cup last-32 stage on Tuesday night.

The progress of Energie was the most dramatic as they scored deep in stoppage time to hold one-time continental giants Hafia 1-1 in Guinea and win 2-1 on aggregate.

La Mancha scored the only goal of the preliminary round second leg to eliminate AS Tanda of the Ivory Coast in Atlantic port city Pointe-Noire.

Niefang also won 1-0, giving them victory over New Stars of Cameroon on away goals after trailing 2-1 from the first leg this month.

Al Masry of Egypt, APR of Rwanda, Belouizdad of Algeria, Cape Town City of South Africa, Petro Luanda of Angola, Port Louis of Mauritius, and Simba of Tanzania were other overall winners.

A further 10 second legs were scheduled for yesterday night ahead of the round of 32 during March when giants like Moroccan side Raja Casablanca and Zamalek of Egypt enter the competition.

Hafia, who were African champions three times and runner-up twice during the 1970s, wiped out the first-leg deficit against Energie after only 11 minutes through Aboubacar Camara.

But with the return match in Conakry seemingly destined for a penalty shootout, Jean Marie Sanni Guera levelled eight minutes into additional time.

The next opponents of Energie will be Enyimba of Nigeria, one of the 10 most successful clubs in Caf competitions with two Champions League and two Super Cup titles.

Separately, Williamsville Athletic Club, whose board members include Ivory Coast football legend Didier Drogba, became the first surprise winners of the 2018 Caf Champions League on Tuesday night.

The Ivorian outfit edged former Caf title winners Stade Malien of Mali 1-0 to set up a last-32 showdown with defending champions Wydad Casablanca of Morocco in March.

Williamsville won the preliminary round tie 2-1 on aggregate having held 2009 Caf Confederation Cup title-holders Stade 1-1 in Bamako this month.

The clash with Wydad will decide who advances to the group stage of the elite African club competition with the two-leg losers dropping to the second-tier Caf Confederation Cup.

Striker Drogba ranks among the greatest African footballers of the modern era and retired from international football in 2014, having scored 63 goals in 104 country appearances.

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