Chronicle Editor
Mehluli Sibanda, Senior Sports Reporter
FC PLATINUM ended their participation in the 19/20 season Caf Champions League group stage on a disappointing note when they lost 2-0 to Etoile du Sahel in Tunis, Tunisia on Saturday.
It was the fifth defeat for the three times in a row Zimbabwean champions in the six matches they played. The defeat meant that the Zimbabwean champions finished at the bottom of the four-team log with just a point, the one they secured when they held Egyptian giants Al Ahly 1-1 at Barbourfields Stadium last month. For the second season in a row, Pure Platinum Play finished the group phase of Africa’s prestigious club football competition without a win but this time around they were worse than what they achieved in the 18/19 season where they had two points.
With the teams having gone to the break deadlocked 0-0, Algerian striker Karim Aribi found the target for the Tunisians three minutes into the second half. Malek Baayou, the 20 year old striker doubled the scoring for Etoile du Sahel in the 72nd minute, with the Tunisians holding on to that lead until the end of the match.
Etoile du Sahel finished on top of the group with 12 points and advanced to the knockout stage of the competition together with Al Ahly who were a point behind in second spot. Al Ahly drew their last match of the group stage 1-1 away against Al Hilal in Sudan on Saturday.
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Bongani Ndlovu