Goals from Franck Carlos Zouzou and Paçome Zouzoua sent Ivorian champions ASEC Mimosas into the semifinals of the CAF Confederation Cup with a 2-0 second leg victory over Tunisia’s US Monastir on Sunday at the Stade Bouaké in Ivory Coast. Zouzou’s brilliant free kick at the end of the first half put the hosts ahead and a late finish in the USM penalty area from Zouzoua confirmed ASEC’s passage to the semifinals, the first time Les Mimos have made it this far in a CAF club competition since the 2006 CAF Champions League. ASEC will face either Morocco’s ASFAR or USM Alger of Algeria in the next round.
US Monastir failed to pose much of an attacking threat in the scoreless first leg at home and the early signs on Sunday were also not encouraging for the club’s supporters. The hosts showed more ambition but had difficulty breaking down a well organized USM defense. Zouzoua had the first clear look on goal in the 32nd minute following a clever team movement but the midfielder got under his shot and fired over the bar.
The visitors would not escape the first half unscathed however when a foul outside the Monastir penalty area set up Zouzou for a perfectly struck free kick that was powered by helpless goalkeeper Sadok Yeddes. ASEC could not relax in the second half as the visitors pushed forward and nearly found a devastating away goal through Idriss Mhrissi, whose shot was deflected just wide in the 83rd minute after ASEC failed to clear a corner kick. In the end though the hosts finished the job in second half stoppage time when a cross from Kouassi Attohoula found Zouzoua who finished into the roof of the net to put the result beyond doubt.
Highlights from the second leg are below.
