The Ostriches needed to win the penultimate game in order to keep alive their chances of reaching the quarterfinals provided they also win their remaining game against ASEC Mimosas of Ivory Coast. USM Alger top Group C with 11 points after Sekou Gassama and Hosam Ghosha scored for the Algerians while Kamogelo Moloi scored a late consolation goal for the Ostriches. Moloi’s goal was the Ostriches first goal in the tournament after five games. ASC Jaraaf of Senegal also proceeded to the quarterfinal following their 1-0 victory against ASEC. Just like in their previous games, the Ostriches’ main undoing was their failure to convert chances heading into the final match day against ASEC away in Abidjan. It was the first time for the Ostriches to qualify for the group stages of the CAF Confederation Cup and it was the first time that a club from Botswana has got that far in the competition.
In the CAF Champions League, Township Rollers in 2018 and Jwaneng Galaxy in 2021-22 and 2023-24 respectively made it to the group phase. After the game, Ostriches coach, Tiiso Gadimang, said they have learnt a lot of lessons from their journey in Africa. “We have learnt a lot of lessons from our journey in Africa. We need experienced players to compete fairly in these competitions. Going forward, it is an experience for us as a club. Our main undoing is our failure to convert the chances that we create but we will keep on working hard to rectify the problem,” said Gadimang.
