Durban City reach CAF Confederation Cup group stage after Mauritius win

Durban City secured their place in the CAF Confederation Cup group stages with a 3-0 victory over AS Port-Louis 2000, completing a 6-1 aggregate win in the second preliminary round.

Eric Tinkler’s side entered the second leg in Mauritius with a 3-1 advantage from the opening match and had enjoyed a full week to prepare, without a midweek league fixture.

They extended their lead in the tie after 12 minutes when Gaston Sirino struck for the second time across the two matches. His goal put Durban City 4-1 ahead on aggregate.

The Nedbank Cup champions added a second before half-time. Haashim Domingo finished from close range to score in successive matches, having previously played for Mamelodi Sundowns.

Durban City continued to press for further goals before the interval, with Jean Lubumba missing two opportunities in the final 10 minutes. One of those chances saw him go one-on-one with the Port-Louis goalkeeper.

The visitors did not have to wait long after the break for another goal. Ethan Brooks scored seven minutes into the second half to register his first goal for the club and make it 3-0 on the night and 6-1 on aggregate.

Further chances came Durban City’s way as the match moved towards its conclusion. Brooklyn Poggenpoel found Lubumba’s run with a well-weighted pass, but the forward could not make contact in the box.

Tinkler’s team managed the closing stages comfortably in Mauritius to confirm their progression to the group stage.

Durban City will be the only South African representative in this season’s CAF Confederation Cup group stages after Kaizer Chiefs were eliminated by Red Arrows.