African Stars Football Club, the champions of the Debmarine Namibia Premier League, failed to progress to the next round of the 2023/24 Confederation of African Football (CAF) Champions League’s preliminary rounds after incurring a 1-0 defeat in Zambia on Saturday.

The Katutura-based African Stars secured a 2-1 victory against Zambian champions Power Dynamos at Dobsonville Stadium in Johannesburg, South Africa last week. However, they were unable to replicate their success on Saturday and were defeated 1-0 at the Levy Mwanawasa Stadium in Lusaka, Zambia.

The victory for Power Dynamos meant that they advanced to the next stage of the TotalEnergies CAF Champions League preliminaries with an overall score of 2-2, but an away goals advantage.

This win positions the Zambian team to face the Tanzanian team, Simba SC, in the next round.

In a video shared on African Stars Football Club's Instagram page, team coach Prince George Koffie encouraged his players to maintain their spirits and focus on the upcoming season.

'While our goal was to progress to the next round of the Champions League, unfortunately, our journey has come to an end. This isn't the conclusion of our careers. Let's view it as a chance to learn and enhance our performance for the next opportunity. Keep your heads up, as this marks another step in our careers,' expressed Koffie.

The CAF Champions League is an annual football club competition organised by the Confederation of African Football. It features top-division African clubs who compete through a round-robin group stage to qualify for a two-legged knockout stage, followed by a home and away final. This tournament is the most prestigious club competition in African football.

The victor of the tournament earns a place in the FIFA Club World Cup, a competition where champion clubs from all six continental confederations compete. They also face the winner of the CAF Confederation Cup in the subsequent season's CAF Super Cup.

Source: The Namibian Press Agency