Incredible comeback keeps Horoya, Simba in Caf Champions League

Simba SC's Ugandan-born Rwandan striker Meddie Kagere (centre) celebrates scoring with teammates during their Caf Champions League first round, second leg match against Zambia's Nkana FC at the National Stadium in Dar es Salaam on December 23, 2018. PHOTO | NATION MEDIA GROUP

What you need to know:

  • Trailing by three goals after the first leg of the round-of-30 tie, the west Africans took advantage of rivals reduced to 10 men by a red card to build a 5-1 second leg lead.
  • With a remarkable triumph just minutes away, Horoya conceded a second goal and Nasr edged in front on away goals with the tie deadlocked at 5-5 on aggregate.

JOHANNESBURG

Guinean club Horoya AC staged one of the greatest African club comebacks to defeat Libyan visitors Al Nasr 6-2 in Conakry on Sunday and book a Caf Champions League group place.

Trailing by three goals after the first leg of the round-of-30 tie, the west Africans took advantage of rivals reduced to 10 men by a red card to build a 5-1 second leg lead.

But with a remarkable triumph just minutes away, Horoya conceded a second goal and Nasr edged in front on away goals with the tie deadlocked at 5-5 on aggregate.

As the remarkable match moved into stoppage time, there was one last twist to the amazing tale with Boniface Haba scoring a tie-clinching sixth goal for Horoya.

The greatest comeback in a Caf club competition came 39 years ago when Tanzanians Simba SC beat Zambians Mufulira Wanderers 5-0 away after losing 4-0 at home.

After seven failed attempts to reach the group stage of the premier African club competition, Horoya have now done so in successive seasons.

Horoya president Antonio Souare reacted to the stunning comeback by telling a local TV channel: "Our goal is to reach the Champions League semi-finals this season."

Last season, Horoya got to the quarter-finals at the expense of 2016 champions Mamelodi Sundowns from South Africa before being eliminated by Egyptian giants Al Ahly.

As stunned Nasr return to Benghazi, the sole consolation for them is they remain contenders for a CAF title as they drop to the second-tier Caf Confederation Cup.

Horoya needed a good start to have any hope of overtaking Nasr and they got it with the Libyans conceding an own goal within four minutes.

Champions League newcomers Nasr shrugged off being down to 10 men by levelling through Ibrahim Mohamed before Nigerian Simon Boladji netted to give Horoya a 2-1 half-time lead.

The Guineans needed three unanswered second-half goals to pull ahead on aggregate and they got them all by the 59th minute at the 25,000-capacity Stade du 28 Septembre.

Ghana-born Mandela Ocansey, Boladji and Marius Assoko netted for a 5-1 lead on the night and 5-4 overall until Muetaz Hussein interrupted the celebrations by scoring on 86 minutes.

Horoya urgently needed a hero and they found one in Haba, whose goal two minutes into stoppage time set the seal on a remarkable comeback.

The Guineans will discover this Friday who they face in the six-matchday group phase when the 16 survivors are split into four mini-leagues.

Among those they could face are record eight-time champions Al Ahly, who scraped through 2-1 on aggregate after losing 1-0 to Champions League debutants Jimma Aba Jifar in Ethiopia.

Ivorian Didier Lebri put Jimma head in first-half stoppage time, leaving the Cairo outfit to experience some anxious moments before securing a last-16 place.

Simba SC are back in the group phase after a 15-year absence thanks to a dramatic 3-1 triumph over Zambian visitors Nkana in Dar es Salaam.

With the tie deadlocked at 3-3 on aggregate and a penalty shootout looming, Zambian Clatous Chama scored the decisive third goal on 88 minutes against his compatriots.