By Victor Kanayo
Tunisia’s Esperance has finally ended the hope of Nigeria’s representative – Plateau United in the 2022/23 CAF Champions League season.
Plateau United won the opening leg in Nigeria 2-1 last weekend and needed to secure at least a draw to reach the group stage.
It was never meant to be as they suffered a controversial 1-0 defeat at the El Menzah stadium in Rades which made it 2-2 on aggregate, as the Tunisian side progressed into the group stage based on away goal advantage.
With this result, Plateau United now have to continue its African participation in the Confederation cup.
Simililarly, another Nigerian representative – Kwara United Footabll Club ended its campaign in the ongoing 2022/2023 CAF Confederation Cup competition in the First Round, after losing to the defending champions and Champion of Champions in the Africa inter-club championship, RS Berkane.
Kwara United had earlier defeated the Berkane based side 3-1 in the First Leg at the Mobolaji Johnson Arena in Lagos last Sunday, with goals from Ahmed Taofeek, Wasiu Jimoh and Daniel Bernabas, after the visitors had gone ahead as early as 7th minutes through Chieck Ouattara.
They lost the return leg on Saturday night by 2-0, to bring the aggregate scores to 3-3.
The team surrendered its two goals advantage, one in each half, to lose out of the competition on away goal advantage to RS Berkane.
Chieck Ouattara, who scored the team’s first goal in Lagos also opened scores against Kwara United, tapping home a nodded ball into the area by the highly enterprising defender, Issoufou Dayo in the 16th minute.
Dayo was everywhere on the pitch, as Kwara United struggled to hold back pressure from the more faster Moroccans, who kept up the tempo minute by minute.
RS Berkane scored what ended up being their saving grace in the 55th minute, with Charki El Bahri Oubaddi getting on the score sheet.
Chakri capitalised on the inability of goalkeeper Adewale Adeyinka to clear his line, from a well taken corner kick.
Kwara United would have conceeded more goals, but for the brilliance of the former Akwa United shot stopper.
Kwara United defeated AS Douanes 3-0 on aggregate in the Preliminary Rounds, scoring the three goals in Lagos, and playing goalless draw in Niamey, Niger Republic, to come face to face with RS Berkane.
