Ghana soccer suffered a "triple blow", in the last two days, as three out of four of this years African club representetives were eliminated.
This afternoon Kotoko became the third Ghanaian club to exit the African club competitions after Hearts of Oak and King Faisal were knocked out of the Champions league and Confederations Cup respectively on friday.
Liberty professionals, the only Ghanaian representative with a local coach, made it through to the next stage.
A 4-1 penalty victory over the porcupine worriors put Algeria's USM Alger into the last eight of the mini-league phase that offers a minimum prize of $200 000.
Kotoko won 2-0 in regulation time to cancel out USM's 2-0 advantage from the first leg, courtesy of goals by Nana Arhin Duah in the 5th minute and a volley by Yussif Chibsah in the 81st.
Goalkeeper Abdouni Nerouane saved twice from Kotoko's Michael Ofosu Appiah and Stephen Oduro to give the Algerians a 3-1 win via penalties.
Etoile Sahel of Tunisia claimed a place in the group stage of the African Champions League after a win on penalties over Hearts of Oak on Friday. They won the second-round second-leg match 5-4 from the spot after the score was 1-1 on aggregate at the end of normal time.
Mohamed Jedidi scored a 31st-minute penalty to level proceedings after Hearts won the first leg 1-0.
The loss means Kotoko and Hearts miss out on the opportunity to contest for the one million dollar prize money at stake in the champions league. They have also missed out on an opportunity to earn $400,000 that is paid automatically to the eight teams that qualify for the league stage of the competition.
The eight Champions League losers this weekend will face the eight winners from the Confederation Cup to battle for places in the group stages of that event.
CAF Cup
Veteran striker Jean-Marc Ithier grabbed a dramatic goal eight minutes from the end of time to ensure a 3-2 aggregate win for Santos of South Africa over Ghana's King Faisal Babes in the Confederations Cup third round in Cape Town on Sunday.Liberty Professionals qualified for the next stage of the Confederations Cup after holding Stade du Tunis 1-1 to qualify on a 4-3 aggregate. A brilliant goal by Michael Helegbe from a well-executed freekick gave Liberty the knockout punch to silence the home team and get the needed morale booster in the face of biased officiating by the Algerian match officials.
Summary
Champions League (Kumasi): Kotoko 2-0 UMSAAggregate 2-2; Kotoko eliminated 4-1 on penalties
CAF Cup (Cape Town): Santos 2-1 King Faisal
Faisal eliminated 3-2 on aggregate
Played on Friday
Champions League: Etoile du Sahel 1-0 Hearts
Aggregate 1-1. Hearts eliminated 5-4 on penalties.
CAF Cup: Stade Tunisien 1-1 Liberty
Liberty Through 4-3 on Aggregate
Ghana soccer suffered a "triple blow", in the last two days, as three out of four of this years African club representetives were eliminated.
This afternoon Kotoko became the third Ghanaian club to exit the African club competitions after Hearts of Oak and King Faisal were knocked out of the Champions league and Confederations Cup respectively on friday.
Liberty professionals, the only Ghanaian representative with a local coach, made it through to the next stage.
A 4-1 penalty victory over the porcupine worriors put Algeria's USM Alger into the last eight of the mini-league phase that offers a minimum prize of $200 000.
Kotoko won 2-0 in regulation time to cancel out USM's 2-0 advantage from the first leg, courtesy of goals by Nana Arhin Duah in the 5th minute and a volley by Yussif Chibsah in the 81st.
Goalkeeper Abdouni Nerouane saved twice from Kotoko's Michael Ofosu Appiah and Stephen Oduro to give the Algerians a 3-1 win via penalties.
Etoile Sahel of Tunisia claimed a place in the group stage of the African Champions League after a win on penalties over Hearts of Oak on Friday. They won the second-round second-leg match 5-4 from the spot after the score was 1-1 on aggregate at the end of normal time.
Mohamed Jedidi scored a 31st-minute penalty to level proceedings after Hearts won the first leg 1-0.
The loss means Kotoko and Hearts miss out on the opportunity to contest for the one million dollar prize money at stake in the champions league. They have also missed out on an opportunity to earn $400,000 that is paid automatically to the eight teams that qualify for the league stage of the competition.
The eight Champions League losers this weekend will face the eight winners from the Confederation Cup to battle for places in the group stages of that event.
CAF Cup
Veteran striker Jean-Marc Ithier grabbed a dramatic goal eight minutes from the end of time to ensure a 3-2 aggregate win for Santos of South Africa over Ghana's King Faisal Babes in the Confederations Cup third round in Cape Town on Sunday.Liberty Professionals qualified for the next stage of the Confederations Cup after holding Stade du Tunis 1-1 to qualify on a 4-3 aggregate. A brilliant goal by Michael Helegbe from a well-executed freekick gave Liberty the knockout punch to silence the home team and get the needed morale booster in the face of biased officiating by the Algerian match officials.
Summary
Champions League (Kumasi): Kotoko 2-0 UMSAAggregate 2-2; Kotoko eliminated 4-1 on penalties
CAF Cup (Cape Town): Santos 2-1 King Faisal
Faisal eliminated 3-2 on aggregate
Played on Friday
Champions League: Etoile du Sahel 1-0 Hearts
Aggregate 1-1. Hearts eliminated 5-4 on penalties.
CAF Cup: Stade Tunisien 1-1 Liberty
Liberty Through 4-3 on Aggregate
