Africa: Esperance Reach Total Energies Cl Semi-Finals Despite Kabylie Draw

Tunisian giants Esperance reached the semi-finals of the CAF Champions League despite being held to 1-1 draw at home against Algerian side JS Kabylie on Saturday night.

The home side dominated the second-leg at the Stade Olympique Hammadi Agrebi and advanced 2-1 on aggregate after the tight game in Rades.

The Tunisian giants advanced thanks to their 1-0 first-leg win over their opponents in the first-leg of the quarter-final tie last week.

Mohamed Ben Romdhane was the hero for the home side as he scored the first goal of the match just four minutes after the break.

The striker latched onto a long ball floated by defender Yassine Meriah before outpacing his two markers and fired beyond goalkeeper into the bottom corner with his left foot.

Substitute Adem Redjem restored some hope for the visitors with five minutes remaining when he pounced on a lose ball after goalkeeper Moez Ben Cherifia failed to deal with a nicely hit effort from the edge of the box.

Kabylie piled on the pressure in search of the goal that could have helped them to stun the home side but goalkeeper Cherifia was resolute to secure his side's progress to the last four of Africa's flagship club football competition.

Esperance will now progress to the last four of the competition and will take Egyptian giants and record title holders Al Ahly in the semi-finals.

The Tunisians will host Ahly in the first-leg to be played early in May with the return clash scheduled to take place in Cairo a week later.

AllAfrica publishes around 600 reports a day from more than 110 news organizations and over 500 other institutions and individuals, representing a diversity of positions on every topic. We publish news and views ranging from vigorous opponents of governments to government publications and spokespersons. Publishers named above each report are responsible for their own content, which AllAfrica does not have the legal right to edit or correct.

Articles and commentaries that identify allAfrica.com as the publisher are produced or commissioned by AllAfrica. To address comments or complaints, please Contact us.