Ghana's Hearts of Oak were eliminated from the African Champions League on Sunday despite winning the second leg of their first-round tie against FC105 Libreville of Gabon.
Ghana's Hearts of Oak were eliminated from the African Champions League on Sunday despite winning the second leg of their first-round tie against FC105 Libreville of Gabon.
The 3-1 win in Accra was not enough for the 2000 champions to overcome a three-goal first-leg deficit and they were eliminated 4-3 on aggregate by the Gabonese army team.
Hearts of Oak's departure came a day after Morocco's Royal Armed Forces, also former winners of the continent's top club prize, bowed out with a shock 3-0 defeat in the Cape Verde Islands.
The soldiers had been 3-0 up after the first leg but Sporting Praia levelled the aggregate score with goals from Tigana and Tchetcha in the first half and Yuri after the interval.
The home side then secured arguably the biggest football success yet for the tiny island archipelago with a 5-4 triumph in the penalty shootout.
Hearts were also 3-0 down from the first-leg two weeks ago, but began the fightback in Accra with a first half goal from Michael Asante.
They then conceded an equaliser to Cedric Mintsa just before the break, which meant they needed four more goals without reply in the second half to overturn the deficit.
Kofi Abanga and a late penalty from Francis Bossman ensured a 3-1 win but it was not enough to avoid an embarrassingly early exit for the Ghanaians.
Compatriots Ashanti Gold served up a six-goal feast in Obuasi as they beat Sahel SC of Niger 6-1 to progress into the second round 6-2 on aggregate. Nathaniel Quaye grabbing two goals for the hosts.
Enyimba of Nigeria and Egypt's Zamalek were two former champions who did go through, both winning on Sunday to follow up on first-leg success last month.
Zamalek, without injured Nations Cup winning striker Amr Zaki, beat APR FC of Rwanda 2-0 in Cairo for a low-key 4-1 aggregate triumph.
Their second-leg goals came only after half-time, the first a penalty from Mahmoud Fathallah and the second from substitute Sherif Ashraf 11 minutes from time.
Enyimba won 3-2 away at Congo's Diables Noirs in Brazzaville to complete a 7-3 aggregate triumph. Stephen Worgu scored twice to add to his double in the first-leg but the game had to be halted for 10 minutes near the end when the home crowd pelted the assistant referee with objects.
Rioting broke out in Antananarivo when a match between Madagascar's Ajesaia and Mozambique's Costa do Sol was postponed because officials did not arrive on time. The game will now be played today, officials said.
Civil unrest in Cameroon also caused the postponement of two matches scheduled for Douala and Garoua at the weekend. The Confederation of African Football said it was unsure when the games would be rescheduled. - Reuters
Hearts of Oak falter in Champions League
Ghana's Hearts of Oak were eliminated from the African Champions League on Sunday despite winning the second leg of their first-round tie against FC105 Libreville of Gabon.
Ghana's Hearts of Oak were eliminated from the African Champions League on Sunday despite winning the second leg of their first-round tie against FC105 Libreville of Gabon.
The 3-1 win in Accra was not enough for the 2000 champions to overcome a three-goal first-leg deficit and they were eliminated 4-3 on aggregate by the Gabonese army team.
Hearts of Oak's departure came a day after Morocco's Royal Armed Forces, also former winners of the continent's top club prize, bowed out with a shock 3-0 defeat in the Cape Verde Islands.
The soldiers had been 3-0 up after the first leg but Sporting Praia levelled the aggregate score with goals from Tigana and Tchetcha in the first half and Yuri after the interval.
The home side then secured arguably the biggest football success yet for the tiny island archipelago with a 5-4 triumph in the penalty shootout.
Hearts were also 3-0 down from the first-leg two weeks ago, but began the fightback in Accra with a first half goal from Michael Asante.
They then conceded an equaliser to Cedric Mintsa just before the break, which meant they needed four more goals without reply in the second half to overturn the deficit.
Kofi Abanga and a late penalty from Francis Bossman ensured a 3-1 win but it was not enough to avoid an embarrassingly early exit for the Ghanaians.
Compatriots Ashanti Gold served up a six-goal feast in Obuasi as they beat Sahel SC of Niger 6-1 to progress into the second round 6-2 on aggregate. Nathaniel Quaye grabbing two goals for the hosts.
Enyimba of Nigeria and Egypt's Zamalek were two former champions who did go through, both winning on Sunday to follow up on first-leg success last month.
Zamalek, without injured Nations Cup winning striker Amr Zaki, beat APR FC of Rwanda 2-0 in Cairo for a low-key 4-1 aggregate triumph.
Their second-leg goals came only after half-time, the first a penalty from Mahmoud Fathallah and the second from substitute Sherif Ashraf 11 minutes from time.
Enyimba won 3-2 away at Congo's Diables Noirs in Brazzaville to complete a 7-3 aggregate triumph. Stephen Worgu scored twice to add to his double in the first-leg but the game had to be halted for 10 minutes near the end when the home crowd pelted the assistant referee with objects.
Rioting broke out in Antananarivo when a match between Madagascar's Ajesaia and Mozambique's Costa do Sol was postponed because officials did not arrive on time. The game will now be played today, officials said.
Civil unrest in Cameroon also caused the postponement of two matches scheduled for Douala and Garoua at the weekend. The Confederation of African Football said it was unsure when the games would be rescheduled. - Reuters
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