ROUND-UP More continental woe for Coton Sport (26.03.2002)
Cameroonian champions Coton Sport Garoua crashed out of the African Champions` League on Sunday, as they failed to overturn a one-goal first leg deficit against Congolese outsiders Etoile in Brazzaville.
Coton Sport, who have dominated Cameroonian football for the past seven years, have never excelled in continental competition, and they slipped to a premature exit once again with a 1-1 draw against a side they comprehensively outplayed.
Trailing 1-0 from the first leg, last season`s Caf Cup semi-finallists took the game to their opponents and four times struck the woodwork, only to go two behind on aggregate as eric Youka struck against the run of play.
Pierre Boya pulled one back two minutes from time, but that
was little consolation. "I can`t believe what happened," said coach Bonaventure Djonkep. "We had our opponents on their knees in both games, but couldn`t make it count. It`s hard to explain."
Cameroon did have something to celebrate though, as Fovu Baham and Tonnerre Yaounde progressed to the last 16 of the Cup Winners` Cup and the Caf Cup respectively.
At home in Douala, Fovu took it easy on Citadins Kigali of Rwanda. After a 3-1 win in Kigali a fortnight ago, Fovu edged out the visitors 1-0 for a 4-1 aggregate win.
After a continental absence of ten years, Tonnerre Yaounde followed up their 4-2 first leg victory over Deportivo Mongomo with a 2-1 win away in Equatorial Guinea. Tonnerre had taken the first game 4-2.
