Zesco United have been eliminated from the 2025/26 CAF Confederation Cup after suffering their fourth consecutive defeat in the group stage.
The Ndola-based side conceded early, going behind in the 14th minute when wingback Benedict Chepeshi’s attempted clearance bounced off an onrushing opposition attacker. The ball fell kindly to Mfundo Vilakazi, who set up Makebi Lilepo to expertly strike the ball into the bottom left corner, giving the hosts a 1-0 lead.
Chiefs, who opened their campaign with a 2-1 defeat to Al Masry and a 1-1 draw against Zamalek, have now collected six points from Zesco to move up to second place in Group D with seven points, placing themselves in a strong position to advance to the knockout stage. They had also beaten Zesco 1-0 in the first leg played in Ndola last Sunday.
Zesco will take on Zamalek at home and Al Masry away in their remaining two fixtures but will be playing only for pride, as they can no longer finish in the top two of the group.
Zamalek and Al Masry are set to face off tonight, with both sides aiming to keep their hopes of advancing to the knockout stage.
Meanwhile, Zesco will now shift focus to the league, where they sit eighth with 22 points from 16 matches and are on the verge of missing out on qualification for the ABSA Cup.
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