CAFCL: Danho heads Esperance to first leg lead in Burkina Faso

Florian Danho’s header just before halftime gave Tunisian giants Esperance a 1-0 victory in Burkina Faso against Rahimo FC on Saturday in the first leg of their CAF Champions League (CAFCL) second qualifying stage clash.

The recent signing from Danish club Randers FC has now scored in three of his first four matches with EST, who escaped Ouagadougou with an away goal ahead of the second leg back home in Tunis next Sunday.

Rahimo, champions of the Burkinabe top flight Fasofoot Ligue 1, eagerly anticipated the four-time African champions at the Stade du 4 Août with plenty of support after the recent return of continental football to the West African nation. However, they could not transfer their enthusiastic play into goals against the strong and experienced EST defense.

While the Tunisian champions struggled to create much for their part, a clever set piece unlocked the Rahimo defense for the only goal of the match. At the end of the first half, a short corner kick was played to EST captain Houssem Tka, whose cross found the head of Khalil Guenichi at the near post. Guenichi flicked his header to the far post where a wide open Danho nodded in from close range.

Next Sunday, the teams will meet again at the Stade Hammadi Agrebi in the Tunisian capital, where EST are widely expected to finish the job and secure a place in the group stage. The Blood and Gold ended last season’s Champions League campaign at the quarterfinal stage, where they fell to South Africa’s Mamelodi Sundowns 0-1 on aggregate.