TP Mazembe sneak past Stade Gabesien

TP Mazembe scraped through to the group stage of the Confederation Cup

TP Mazembe edged into the Confederation Cup group stage by beating Stade Gabesien on the away goals rule after a 2-2 aggregate draw.

African champions Mazembe went into Tuesday’s second leg with a 1-0 lead but fell to a 2-1 defeat in Gabes and narrowly avoided being on the end of a major upset.

Gabesien made it 1-0 on the day, and levelled the tie, when Youssef Fouzai scored a 38th-minute penalty.

Jonathan Bolingi’s equaliser put Mazembe back in charge – 2-1 on aggregate – and although Ahmed Hosni restored Gabesien’s second-leg lead, and Bolingi was sent off for violent play, the hosts failed to take further chances to score that would have made them victorious.

Mazembe had dropped into the second-tier continental club tournament after losing in the final qualifying round of the Champions League by Morocco’s Wydad Casablanca.

And they had been considered heavy favourites to beat Gabesien, whoonly qualified because Tunisian Cup winners Etoile du Sahel secured a Champions League slot.

However, the …

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