Algerian club JS Saoura was eliminated from the 2023 Arab Club Champions Cup following a 1-1 second leg draw against Kuwait Sports Club at the Miloud Hadefi Stadium in Oran on Tuesday. Kuwait SC advance to the second qualifying round with a 2-1 aggregate victory after previously defeating JSS at home last week. The Kuwaiti champions await the winner of the ongoing matchup between Mauritania’s FC Nouadhibou and Shabab Al-Ordon of Jordan which Nouadhibou lead 4-1 after the first leg.
Saoura had a one-goal deficit to overcome and looked to attack early on but came up against an experienced Kuwait SC defense that managed to keep the match scoreless when halftime arrived. JSS’s failure to take advantage of their opportunities came back to haunt them when the visitors struck soon after the hour mark. Egyptian midfielder Amro Abdelfatah’s corner kick found Bahrain national team midfielder Mohamed Marhoon for a powerful header into the roof of the net and JS Saoura had plenty of work to do.
The hosts got one goal back in the 75th minute when a cross from Mohamed El Amine Hammia was tipped by Kuwait SC goalkeeper Dari Al-Otaibi into the path of Lyes Doucene who fired in to level the score. Despite a desperate push from Saoura it was too late for last season’s Algeria Ligue 1 Professionnelle third placed club who could not find another goal to avoid elimination.
Video of both goals from the second leg is below.
