Humiliating exit for multi African title winners Mazembe
Multiple African trophy winners TP Mazembe from the Democratic Republic of Congo plumbed new depths on Sunday by losing 1-0 at home to Young Africans of Tanzania in the CAF Confederation Cup.
It was the fifth straight Group D loss for a club that for decades were among the most feared in the continent.
A second half goal from Farid Mussa condemned Mazembe to finishing last in the four-team mini-league with just three points from a win over Real Bamako of Mali in matchday one.
They were beaten at home and away by Young Africans and US Monastir of Tunisia, the two qualifiers for the quarter-finals, and at Real Bamako.
Mazembe began the African season in the premier club competition, the CAF Champions League, but a shock elimination by Vipers of Uganda, demoted them to the second-tier Confederation Cup.
Club officials reacted to the penalty shootout defeat against Vipers by sacking experienced French coach Franck Dumas and promoting his assistant, local Pamphile Mihayo.
Given their African pedigree, Mazembe were among the four clubs seeded for a group stage involving 16 teams, but on the field they have been unable to match that billing.
Mazembe have won 11 CAF titles, an achievement matched by Zamalek, and bettered only by another Egyptian club, Al Ahly.
The Congolese won the Champions League five times, the CAF Super Cup on three occasions, the Confederation Cup twice and the now defunct African Cup Winners Cup once.
They were also the first African representatives to reach a Club World Cup final, losing 3-0 to Inter Milan in 2010 in Abu Dhabi.
DR Congo had three clubs in the group stage and Daring Club Motema Pembe and Saint-Eloi Lupopo also failed to achieve top-two finishes, and were eliminated.
Elsewhere, ASEC Mimosas of the Ivory Coast won their fourth straight Group B match by defeating Nigerian visitors Rivers United 1-0 in Yamoussoukro.
Mofosse Karidoula scored the lone goal after only two minutes and it ensured former African champions ASEC finished top of the table, three points ahead of fellow qualifiers Rivers.
In the same section, a Congolese derby ended with Diables Noirs from Congo Brazzaville retaining third place after a 0-0 draw at home to Motema Pembe.
The draws for the Confederation Cup quarter-finals and semi-finals will be made in Cairo on Wednesday.
Among the eight clubs going into the hat are FAR Rabat, who hope to become the fifth winners from Morocco in six seasons.
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