Hope is eliminated from the African Football League despite his victory this evening against Wydad Casablanca (1-0). The “blood and gold” lost shots on goal.
After the short defeat of the first leg (0-1), Hope St hoped to redeem itself, today, against Wydad Casablanca in front of its audience and qualify for the final of the African Football League.
But the “blood and gold” had to be disillusioned despite their 1-0 victory (1-1 over the whole of the two matches). They are eliminated thanks to penalties (4-5) and let the Wydad spin in the final to face either Al Ahly from Egypt) or Mamelodi Sundowns.
In the first half, Esperance especially shone by its draft game and an absence of liveliness on the part of its players, who facilitated the task of his opponent. There was therefore nothing to put in the tooth except an attempt to bouguerra above the transversal (11 ‘) and a strike from Ouahabi deviated in corner (28’).
It is true that the Wydad players were very well positioned on the field and especially played in defense, short-circuiting all the offensive inclinations of “blood and gold”, in obvious lack of physical freshness during this return match.
In the second half, the situation changes. Esperantist players wake up and have the merit of shaking up their opponents and pressing them in their area. And at the 66 ‘, Rodrigo Rodrigues finally manages to open the head of the head for Hope, thus equalizing on all of the two matches.
Tunisians do not stop there. They will continue to press the Wydad and get a new big opportunity when an attempt at Sasse is postponed by the post in the 83 ‘. The continuation we know it with a series of fetal penalties, Rodrigues having seen his attempt stopped by the Moroccan goalkeeper.
