NIGERIAN side Enyimba have crashed out of this season’s CAF Confederation Cup after losing 3-1 to Zamalek on Sunday.
The two-time CAF Champions League winners went into the Group D match at the Cairo International Stadium needing victory to reignite their hopes of making the next round.
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However, the Egyptian giants went ahead in the 29th minute courtesy of Mostafa Shalaby’s header. Seifeddine Jaziri doubled the lead for Zamalek just after half-time.
The Nigerian side pulled one back to reawaken hopes of any comeback all thanks to Ifeanyi Ihemekwele’s goal in the 57th minute. But when Jaziri netted a second goal, just three minutes from time, that flicker of hope for an Enyimba dramatic comeback was quenched.
In another Group D game, Al Masry qualified for the next round of games after a dominant 3-1 win over Black Bulls Maputo. Fakhreddine Ben Youssef scored a first-half hat-trick to give the Mozambique team victory.
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The Group D victory lifted Masry to nine points and assured them of the second qualifying place behind table-toppers and title-holders Zamalek of Egypt.
The other last-eight place up for grabs in the final matchday went to former African champions ASEC Mimosas from the Ivory Coast.
They outclassed Orapa United of Botswana 4-0 in Abidjan while Group C rivals Jaraaf of Senegal fell 2-0 away to 2023 Confederation Cup winners USM Alger.
The results left ASEC and Jaraaf level on eight points — six behind USM — with the Ivorian outfit advancing on the head-to-head rule.
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Simba of Tanzania won Group A thanks to a 2-0 victory over fellow qualifiers CS Constantine of Algeria in an empty Dar es Salaam stadium owing to crowd trouble there in a previous game.
Yusuph Kagoma missed a first-half sitter for Simba before Denis Kibu broke the deadlock on 61 minutes with a low drive past goalkeeper Zakaria Bouhalfaya from outside the area.
