Nigeria’s Enugu Rangers were eliminated from the CAF Champions League after a 3-1 defeat to Angolan club Sagrada Esperanca on Sunday, marking the end of the country’s participation in the tournament this season.
Enugu Rangers exited with a 3-2 aggregate loss, having held a 1-0 lead from the first leg of the second-round qualifier last weekend. Despite competing in the Champions League four times, the Nigerian club has never progressed to the lucrative group stage, where teams stand to earn $800,000 (715,000 euros) in prize money.
In the second leg in Luanda, Sagrada took a 2-0 lead in the first half. Rangers’ Anayor Ogbonna scored before the break, bringing the aggregate score to 2-2 and putting Enugu ahead on away goals. However, Sagrada’s Jaime Pimpao netted the decisive goal in the 67th minute to secure a 3-2 aggregate win for the Angolan side, knocking out the Nigerian hopefuls.
The loss leaves Nigeria without a representative in the CAF Champions League group stage, after Remo Stars were eliminated by Morocco’s FAR Rabat in the first round last month.
Sagrada’s qualification is their second time reaching the group stage in four attempts, while Petro Luanda, another Angolan team, failed to progress after being held to a 0-0 draw by DR Congo’s Maniema Union, resulting in a 2-1 aggregate loss.
Elsewhere, Mali’s Djoliba made history by becoming the first team from the country to reach the group stage after a 1-0 away win over Togo’s ASKO Kara, progressing 2-0 on aggregate. Former champions Stade Abidjan of Ivory Coast, FAR Rabat, and Al Hilal of Sudan also secured their spots in the group stage.
