Kwasi Sibo's Al Swehly crash out of CAF Champions League after penalty shootout defeat

Ghanaian midfielder Kwasi Sibo and his Al Swehly teammates have been knocked out of the CAF Champions League after losing to Tunisia's Espérance de Tunis on penalties in the second round of the preliminary stage. Al Swehly travelled to Tunis on Saturday with a 1-0 advantage from the first leg in Libya but were beaten by the same scoreline in the return fixture, leaving the tie level at 1-1 on aggregate.

Imad Faraj struck in the eighth minute to give Espérance an early lead and put the Tunisian side back on level terms in the tie. Neither side could find another goal during the match, sending the contest to a penalty shootout to determine who would advance to the group stage.

Al Swehly struggled to convert their opportunities from the spot, scoring just one of their four attempts. Espérance, meanwhile, converted three of their four kicks to secure qualification and end the Libyan side's hopes of progressing in the competition.

The result is a major setback for Al Swehly, who had taken a narrow advantage into the second leg but were unable to hold on against one of Africa's established club sides. Espérance will now turn their attention to the group stage, with the draw for the next phase scheduled to take place in Cairo next week.

For Sibo and his teammates, the focus will shift back to their domestic campaign as they look to recover from the disappointment and achieve their targets for the remainder of the season. The Ghanaian midfielder could also have an opportunity to return to international duty as he seeks to earn a place in the Black Stars squad for their upcoming 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers against Somalia next month.

Ghana will be hoping to strengthen their position in the qualifying campaign as they pursue a place at the continental tournament. For Sibo, a strong run of performances at club level could prove important as he looks to catch the attention of the national team selectors.