Stellenbosch and Nsoatreman make history in TotalEnergies CAF Confederation Cup

Debutants Stellenbosch and Nsoatreman were the highlights of the day as the TotalEnergies CAF Confederation Cup's first preliminary round, second-leg matches were played on Saturday

The South Africans Stellenbosch made a resounding statement in the competition, demolishing Eswatini's Nsingizini Hotspurs FC with an aggregate score of 8-0.

After a 3-0 away win in the first leg, Stellenbosch completed the rout with a 5-0 victory at the Moses Mabhida Stadium in Durban.

New signing Lehlogonolo Mojela opened the scoring, with further goals from Langelihle Phili, Andre de Jong, Omega Mdaka, and substitute Mervin Boji.

This emphatic win sets up an intriguing second-round clash with DR Congo's AS Vita Club.

Ghana's Nsoatreman FC, another newcomer to the continental scene, impressed with a 5-0 aggregate victory over Elect Sport.

Following their initial 3-0 away win, Nsoatreman confirmed their superiority with a 2-0 victory in the return leg, played in Cameroon due to stadium issues.

Walid Fuseini and Stephan Diyou scored the goals that secured this historic milestone for the Ghanaian FA Cup champions.

In a nail-biting encounter, Racing Club d'Abidjan of Cote d'Ivoire secured their qualification against Morocco's Union de Touarga. After two goalless draws, the tie was settled by a tense penalty shootout at the Felix Houphouet Boigny stadium.

Ivorian goalkeeper Ousmane Zombra emerged as the hero, saving three Moroccan penalties to clinch a 2-1 shootout victory.

The Moroccans had played with ten men from the 52nd minute following the expulsion of their captain, Achraf Berki, but Racing Club couldn't capitalize during regular time.

Elsewhere, Tunisia's Stade Tunisien cruised into the next round with a comfortable 4-0 win over South Sudan's Jamus.

Meanwhile, Benin's Dadjè pulled off an impressive qualification against their Nigerian neighbors, El Kameni Warriors.

As the first preliminary round concludes on Sunday, attention now turns to the second round, scheduled to begin from September 15, 2024.

Stellenbosch FC's clash with AS Vita Club and Nsoatreman's potential encounter with either Rwanda's Police FC or Algeria's CS Constantine promise to be highlights of the next stage.