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LEOPARD’S CAF DREAMS SHATTERED IN KINSHASA

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AS Vita...................................(0)3
Etekiama 56th, 64th, Bangala 90th
Leopard..................................(0)1
Lungelo 88th
(AS Vita win 4-1 on aggregate)

MBABANE – It was always going to be a mammoth task especially inside a lion’s den; that is the 80 000-seater Stade de Martyr, but Royal Leopard died with their boots on.


Leopard suffered a 3-1 defeat at the hands of AS Vita Club in Kinshasa yesterday afternoon to see their Total CAF Champions League dreams shattered, losing 4-1 on aggregate following last weekend’s 0-1 loss at the Somhlolo National Stadium.


Mthunzi ‘Xavi’ Mkhontfo, who was menace to his former side when the two teams met in the first leg, sat out the match through injury with fellow Swazi international attacker Felix Badenhorst entering the fray halfway through the last half to consolidate a comfortable win for the Congolese outfit.  


Carrying a goal deficit to the Democratic Republic of Congo’s capital Kinshasa, Leopard fought bravely for the first 45 minutes, forcing a goalless stalemate at the interval.
The gallant first half showing however crumbled when it mattered the most with the hosts taking the lead through Taguy Agiti Etekiama after 56 minutes.


Eight minutes later, Etekiama completed his brace as he doubled AS Vita’s advantage and from here, it was always going to be difficult for Sifiso ‘Nuro’ Ntibane and his charges to claw their way back into the tie.


With two minutes remaining in regulation time, second half substitute Lungelo Tsabedze pulled one back for Leopard to set up a nervy finish to the game but at the stroke of full-time, Yannick Bangala finished the game as a contest with AS Vita’s third for the day. AS Vita will now face Gambia’s Ports Authority, who eliminated Séwé Sport of the Ivory Coast 1-0 on aggregate in the first round batch of matches.

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