Nigerian club Enyimba conceded in added time to lose 4-3 at Libyan outfit Al Ahly Benghazi on Sunday in a CAF Champions League preliminary round first leg thriller.
Mbaoma Chijioke gave the visitors a great start by scoring after only three minutes, but the home team recovered to lead 2-1 at half-time after an Imoh Obot own goal.
Eze Ekwutoziam equalised just before the hour and, after Benghazi went ahead again, Murphy Ndukwu levelled on 85 minutes after Libyan goalkeeper Morad el Wheshy spilled a free kick.
But five minutes into added time, Benghazi snatched a narrow lead they will take to Aba in southeastern Nigeria for the return match on August 27.
Two-time title holders Enyimba were among seven former winners of the Champions League in action on the opening weekend of the 2023-24 season.
V Club, the 1973 champions from the Democratic Republic of Congo were the other losers, going down 1-0 away to Primeiro Agosto of Angola in Lubango.
DR Congo-born Dago Tshibamba scored on 72 minutes against his compatriots for Primeiro, who have made little impact in the competition since getting to the 2018 semi-finals.
Hafia of Guinea, who reached five finals in the 1970s and won three, were held 0-0 at home in Conakry by Senegalese academy club Generation Foot in a rare recent Champions League appearance.
ASEC Mimosas of the Ivory Coast, whose lone title came in 1998, were also involved in a goalless first leg in west Africa, away to debutants Coton Sport of Benin in Cotonou.
The only former champions to win on Sunday were FAR Rabat, who in 1985 became the first title-holders from Morocco.
Ivorian Lamine Diakite scored the goal that earned a 1-0 away victory over ASKO Kara of Togo on Lome that virt ually guarantees the north Africans a last-32 place.
FAR recently hired Tunisian coach Nasreddine Nabi, who last season defied the odds by guiding Young Africans of Tanzania to the final of the second-tier CAF Confederation Cup.
The other winners were Orlando Pirates of South Africa on Saturday and Etoile Sahel of Tunisia on Friday.
Pirates edged Djabal 1-0 in the Comoros thanks to a late Zakhele Lepasa goal while a superb solo effort from Guinean Soumaila Sidibe set up Etoile for a 2-0 win at CS Constantine of Algeria.
Defending champions and record 11-time winners Al Ahly of Egypt were among 10 clubs given byes into the final qualifying round.
Defending champions and record 11-time winners Al Ahly of Egypt were among 10 clubs given byes into the final qualifying round.
Nigerian club Bendel Insurance made a winning return to the CAF Confederation Cup after an 18-year absence by edging ASO Chlef of Algeria in west Africa on Saturday.
Imade Osarekhoe scored three minutes before half-time in Benin City to separate the teams in the first leg of a preliminary tie.
While the lead is narrow, Bendel have the advantage of not conceding at home as the away-goal rule applies.
While the lead is narrow, Bendel have the advantage of not conceding at home as the away-goal rule applies.
