Madeama Sporting Club yesterday failed to qualify for the money zone of the CAF Confederation Cup when they succumbed to AC Leopards of Congo Brazzaville 7-6 on penalties in their second leg duel at the Sekondi Sports Stadium at Essipon.
It was a sad day for football in Sekondi as the Tarkwa-based club came close to qualification , but allowed the visitors to run away with the ticket to the next stage of the competition.
After desperate attempts by the Medeama players to find the back of the net it took goalkeeper Muntari Tagoe brilliant conversion of a 72nd minute penalty to bring back the homesters into the game.
Medeama lost the first leg 2-0 in Brazzaville and needed three unanswered goals to sail through to the next stage, but to the dismay of the Medeama’s fans, Michael Helegbe failed to convert a 15th minute penalty after Kwame Boahen was brought down in the 18 yard box.
The game was largely dominated by Medeama SC but brilliant goalkeeping by Ngome Lawrence prevented the Ghanaian side from finding the back of the net.
The second half was delayed for 15 minutes when AC Leopards refused to leave the dressing room because the spectators were throwing sachet water onto the field.
With Helegbe in control of the midfield the homesters mounted pressure on their opponents and in one of their moves, Kwame Boahene was felled in the box for a penalty which was converted by goalkeeper Tagoe
Medeama’s skipper Hans Kwofie increased the tally to cancel the two-goal deficit, but during the penalties Henry Entsir had his shot saved by the Congolese goalkeeper.
