Maghreb Fes strike late to reach CAF Champions League group stage as Al Hilal advance

Maghreb Fes booked their place in the CAF Champions League group stage with a dramatic 2-1 victory away to ASEC Mimosas in the second leg of their last-32 tie on Sunday.

The Moroccan side had drawn 1-1 at home in the first leg, giving them a 3-2 aggregate victory and confirming their progress. The result also secured Morocco’s champions passage to the last 16.

After a goalless first half, Maghreb Fes took the lead in the 62nd minute when Christopher Eibai found the net.

ASEC Mimosas responded 11 minutes later, with Kevin Bakary equalising to give the Ivorian hosts renewed hope of overturning the tie.

Maghreb Fes remained organised as the match entered its closing stages and eventually produced the decisive moment in the seventh minute of added time. Khalid Baba scored in the 90+7th minute to send the Moroccan champions through.

In the other CAF Champions League tie, Sudanese club Al Hilal also reached the group stage after completing a second successive win over Ethiopian side Sidama Buna.

Al Hilal had won the first leg 2-0 and repeated that scoreline in the return fixture to progress by the same aggregate margin.

Ernest Luzolo opened the scoring in the 33rd minute of the second leg, before Mohamed Abdelrahman Al-Gharbal doubled Al Hilal’s advantage in the fifth minute of first-half stoppage time.

The result confirmed Al Hilal’s comprehensive victory across the two matches, with Sidama Buna unable to find a response in either leg.