Zesco United have booked their place in the CAF Confederation Cup group stage for the third time in the club’s history.
The Ndola giants progressed after a 1-1 draw against Botswana’s Jwaneng Galaxy, advancing 5-4 on aggregate.
Carrying a 3-2 lead from the first leg, Zesco only needed to avoid defeat to go through. Chad international Amine Hiver put Emmanuel Siwale’s men ahead in the 45th minute, just before halftime, despite Galaxy looking the more threatening side.
After the break, Zesco switched to a defensive approach, but Galaxy continued to pile on the pressure and eventually leveled through Thabang Sesinyi in the 82nd minute. However, it was too little, too late for the hosts.
Zesco held firm in the tense final minutes to protect their aggregate lead and secure a $400,000 worth group-stage berth.
The nine-time Zambian champions have now featured in eight Confederation Cup campaigns, reaching the quarterfinals in 2017 and exiting at the group stage in 2019.
They will discover their group-stage opponents on November 3, when the draw is conducted.
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