CAF Champions League 2018

Coulibaly's late strike leads Espérance to victory


Fousseni Coulibaly scores in Sousse to give Espérance a 1-0 win over Etoile, 3-1 overall. Photo | BackpagePix
Fousseni Coulibaly scores in Sousse to give Espérance a 1-0 win over Etoile, 3-1 overall. Photo | BackpagePix

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Espérance de Tunis booked their place in the semifinals of the 2018 Caf Champions League with a 1-0 win (3-1 on aggregate) over Tunisian rivals Étoile du Sahel at the Stade Olympique de Sousse on Friday.

Following a 2-1 win for Espérance in the first-leg last weekend, the two time champions made sure of progression into the final four with a narrow victory in the reverse fixture.

Fousseni Coulibaly scored the only goal of the game in Sousse in the 87th minute of a cagey affair.

The Ivorian forward picked the ball up in midfield of the park, played it forward into space before composing himself and duly slipping a low shot into the back of the net to silence the home fans.

Frustration boiled over for Étoile in added time as Victor Gomes sent off Ammar Jamal following a second bookable offence on what was a disappointing evening for the hosts.

The result follows a shock 1-1 draw for Primeiro de Agosto away to TP Mazembe in Lubumbashi earlier today. Espérance will lock horns with the Angolan club for a place in the final in a rematch of the 1998 African Cup Winners Cup.

Two places are still up for grabs, with Wydad Casablanca and ES Sétif to lock horns in Morocco later this evening.