Ghana midfielder Kwasi Sibo's continental dream dies in Tunis as Esperance win the shootout to book a Champions League group stage place.
Ghana midfielder Kwasi Sibo's CAF Champions League run is over. His Libyan side Al Swehly fell to Tunisian heavyweights Esperance de Tunis on penalties in the second round of the preliminary stage, and the group stage slips away.
Al Swehly arrived in Tunis on Saturday holding a 1-0 lead from the first leg in Libya. Esperance wasted little time in wiping it out. Imad Faraj struck in the eighth minute to level the tie at 1-1 on aggregate and send the contest to a shootout.
From the spot, Al Swehly cracked. They converted only one of their four penalties, while Esperance netted three of their four to seal progress. The Tunisian giants now head into the group phase of Africa's premier club competition, with the draw set for Cairo next week.
It is a painful exit for Sibo and his teammates, who were just one step from the group stage. The former Real Oviedo man is expected to stay locked in on helping Al Swehly chase their goals for the rest of the season, and he could also look to put his name back in the frame for a place in Ghana's national team plans.
