Shooting Stars arrived in Magred, Tunisia holding a precious 1-0 lead from the first leg. 90 minutes stood between the Oluyole Warriors and the CAF Confederation Cup group stage.
For an hour they stood tall. Blocks, tackles, and a keeper having the game of his life kept Tunisian giants CSS’ at bay. The plan was working.
Then Magred came alive. 67th minute, CSS’ broke the deadlock with a clinical finish. 1-0. The home crowd roared. Five minutes later it was worse, a looping header from a corner made it 2-0.
Aggregate flipped to 2-1. 3SC threw everything forward, chasing that one away goal to swing it back. Long balls, desperate shots, but the Tunisian defense held firm.
The whistle blew and Magred went wild. CSS’ march on. Shooting Stars are out.
One goal short. The players sank to the turf in Tunisia, while back in Ibadan, fans could only say “we were so close.”
