Espérance Tunis Defeat Swehly SC on Penalties in CAF Champions

As reported by cafonline.com, Libya’s Swehly SC were eliminated on October 24, 2026, at the Stade Olympique de Radès after losing 3-1 on penalties to four-time African champions Espérance Sportive de Tunis, who successfully wiped out a first-leg deficit to reach the TotalEnergies CAF Champions League 2026/27 Group Stage.

According to cafonline.com, give Espérance a 1-0 victory and level the Second Preliminary Round tie at 1-1 on aggregate when Imad Faraj found the back of the net in the eighth minute for the sole goal of the second leg. Panafricafootball.com reported that the sequence began when Swehly goalkeeper Mouad Al-Mansouri failed to properly clear a corner kick from Lucas Ribeiro, allowing Peruvian midfielder Jesús Castillo to head the ball back into danger for Faraj to flick in a clever finish.

Penalty Shootout Decides Qualification After Score Stalemate

Neither side managed to find another breakthrough during regulation time. Panafricafootball.com noted that a stalemate ensued through more than eighty minutes of scoreless football following the early goal, leaving the aggregate score deadlocked at 1-1 after 90 minutes.

In the subsequent penalty shootout, Espérance goalkeeper Bechir Ben Saïd delivered a stellar performance by saving the first attempt from Ayoub Ayed and later denying Lameck Banda, as reported by panafricafootball.com. While Hamza Rafia missed his spot kick for the hosts on their second attempt, Espérance converted three penalties in total while Swehly managed just one and missed three, securing a 3-1 shootout victory for the Tunisian giants.

Continental Streak Extends as Domestic Fixtures Await

Panafricafootball.com reported that Espérance Tunis have now qualified for ten consecutive editions of the CAF Champions League after withstanding the challenge from the Libyan club. The result completed a significant recovery for Espérance, who entered the fixture under severe pressure following a surprise 1-0 defeat in the opening leg in Libya.

With the preliminary hurdle cleared, Espérance now advance to the 16-team group stage of the continental competition, which is scheduled to begin at the end of November, cafonline.com reported. Domestically, the club currently sits second in Tunisia’s Ligue 1 Professionnelle with twelve points from five matches, and will immediately turn their attention back to domestic affairs, according to panafricafootball.com.