CAF Confederation Cup: ASO Chlef Bow Out with Honour After Narrow Defeat in Tunis
ASO Chlef’s African adventure has come to an end, but the Algerian club exits the CAF Confederation Cup with heads held high following a narrow 1-0 defeat to Tunisia’s Club Africain in Radès.
After a hard-fought 1-1 draw in the first leg in Algeria, hopes were high that ASO could pull off a surprise away result. But despite a valiant second-half performance, the team fell short in the second leg of the round of 16, ultimately exiting the competition on a 2-1 aggregate score.
The Maghreb derby lived up to its reputation as a tight and tactical affair. Club Africain dominated possession for much of the first half but found it difficult to break down a compact Chlef side. The breakthrough finally came in the 42nd minute when Saber Khalifa found Dhaouadi, who beat the offside trap and finished with a clever chipped effort past the goalkeeper.
ASO Chlef responded with more urgency in the second half, showing greater attacking intent and pushing forward in search of an equaliser. Despite creating some promising opportunities, the Algerians were unable to find a way past the Tunisian defence, and Club Africain held firm until the final whistle.
The result means ASO, Algeria’s last representative in the CAF Cup, are now out of the competition. Though disappointed, the Chlef side can take pride in their campaign, having competed toe-to-toe with a strong North African rival.
Attention now turns back to domestic matters, where ASO Chlef must focus on ensuring their survival in the Algerian top flight.
As for Club Africain, the road to the CAF Confederation Cup group stage continues. They will face one of the teams dropping down from the CAF Champions League in the play-off round—a final hurdle before entering the group phase.
