Étoile du Sahel beat Shooting Stars 2:0 in the first preliminary round of the CAF Confederation Cup on Saturday. The Tunisian side kept a clean sheet and set up a decisive second leg after their visitors had won 1:0 just eight days earlier. Two goals in the second half shifted the tie.
By then the hosts had taken control. A goal in the twenty-seventh minute opened the scoring and shooting stars had to chase the game. The visitors pressed hard for an equaliser but Étoile du Sahel held firm until the break. To be fair, the visitors showed spirit but the hosts were better placed when it mattered.
The second half brought a second goal in the sixty-seventh minute and the result was sealed. Shooting stars pushed forward but could not find a way through. The home side saw the game out without further incident.
The statistics available are sparse. Both sides registered two yellow cards and the attack counts were close, 151 for the hosts against 141 for the visitors. Possession and shot accuracy figures were not recorded. And here's the thing — the scoreboard told the real story.
Shooting stars will need to find a response if they want to progress. They started well away from home but could not maintain that advantage. Étoile du Sahel ground out the win and now sit in a stronger position.