Former winners Enyimba and Raja Club Athletic are the biggest casualties in the CAF Champions League on Saturday, the continent’s football body says on its website.
The duo, with five titles between them, will play no role in the round of 16 stage after going down to unfancied opponents in the second leg matches.
Nigerian giants, Enyimba won by a lone goal against Malian challengers, AS Real, in Bamako thanks to Bala Zaka’s first half effort, but it was not enough to see them through. The Malians, 2-1 winners in the previous fixture in Aba, advanced on the away goal rule after a 2-2 aggregate score line.
The round of 16 marks the farthest AS Real have reached in a major continental club championship since finishing as losing finalists in 1966 edition of the same competition, with a side that featured the legendary Salif Keita.
In Casablanca, Guinean champions, Horoya, also a dominant force in continental club championship in the late 70’s and 80’s accounted for the exit of Raja. Striker Mouhcine Iajour scored the only goal of the encounter three minutes from time forcing the game into penalties, and Horoya emerged superior 5-4.
Five-time winners Zamalek of Egypt pulled off arguably the biggest surprise by holding Angolan champions, Kabuscorp, to a barren draw in Luanda earlier on Friday, and marched on 1-0 on aggregate.
It was double agony for Angolan representatives as Primeiro de Agosto also bid farewell despite a 2-0 win over AC Leopards of Congo. The latter progressed to the next round 4-3 on aggregate.
Zambian champions, Nkana also cut short the fairytale story of Ugandan torch bearers, Kampala City Council, with a shocking 2-1 win in Kampala. The visitors went up on 31 minutes through Claude Bwalya before Brian Majwega drew level four minutes after recess. On 59 minutes, Christopher Munthali scored the winner to send Nkana through 4-3 on aggregate.
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