Nigerian clubs have been bundled out of the African continent as two-time champions, Enyimba and Remo Stars, couldn’t seal a place in the second preliminary round of the 2023/2024 CAF Champions League.
Despite recording their first win on the continent, Remo Stars are yet to win a continental tie.
The Ikenne boys needed to score two goals in the second leg against Ghanian champions Medeama SC, after losing the first leg 1-0 to an early goal in the 22nd minutes from Jonathan Sowah.
Remo were wasteful in the final third, Frank Mawuena had three chances to take the game beyond the reach of Medeama SC, he fluffed his line on all the three occasions.
The only goal of the game came in the 72 minutes, with a howler from the Ghanian goalkeeper gifting Remo Stars a slender 1-0.
With the game deadlocked at 1-1 on aggregate, penalty beaconed after 90 minutes, Medeama won the shoot-out 3-2, with Sowah converting the decisive penalty sending the players and staff into wild jubilation as the Ghanian champions proceed to the next round.
For the first time since 2015 Enyimba were ousted in a CAF Competition in the first round, hopes of getting through to the second preliminary round was snuffed out by visiting Libya side, Ahli Benghazi.
Al Ahly Benghazi were pragmatic in their approach, repelling everything Enyimba through at them, the Libyan side Parked the bus for the most part of the game, with the game ending goalless after 90 minutes and 4-3 on aggregate.
The Libyan side ended Enyimba’s 14 matches scoring run in the continents at home with the Finidi George boys firing blank for the first since 2019 draw with Al Hilal in September.
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