V Club of DR Congo take last CAF Champions League spot
AS V Club from the Democratic Republic of Congo secured the final CAF Champions League group place on Thursday after beating Rail Club Kadiogo of Burkina Faso in a penalty shootout.
The Congolese missed their first spot-kick at the 80,000-capacity Stade des Martyrs in Kinshasa, then converted the next four for a 4-3 win after the second leg finished 0-0.
Kadiogo and V Club also drew 0-0 in the first leg last Sunday after a match in the Beninese city of Cotonou because Burkina Faso does not have an international-standard stadium.
That the Kinshasa outfit needed penalties to win the last 32 tie was surprising as they have a much more impressive record in the premier African club competition than the Ouagadougou side.
V Club were crowned champions in 1973, have been runners-up twice since, and will be making a fourth group appearance in five seasons from February 10.
Rail have qualified for the Champions League just four times in their 55-year history, and made an impact only this season by ousting twice winners Asante Kotoko of Ghana in a preliminary tie.
A draw to create four Champions League groups from the 16 survivors will be made during November in Cairo on a date to be announced with V Club among the four lowest seeds.
Kadiogo drop to the second-tier CAF Confederation Cup, where they will tackle another DR Congo club, Saint Eloi Lupopo, in a two-leg play-off during November with a group place up for grabs.
