Tunisia's Club Africain have returned to the TotalEnergies CAF Champions League group stage for the first time since 2018-19, ending TP Mazembe's hopes of progression with a composed home performance. Moroccan champions MAS Fes, Sudanese giants Al Hilal, and Mauritania's FC Nouadhibou also sealed their places in the group stage on a dramatic night of continental football.

Club Africain end six-year group stage absence

Club Africain arrived at Hamadi Agrebi Stadium carrying a 1-1 draw from the first leg in Lubumbashi, and they needed very little to complete the job against the five-time champions from DR Congo.

Taddeus Nkeng delivered the decisive moment just before halftime, scoring the only goal of the tie to send the 1991 CAF Champions League winners back to the group stage after eight years away.

MAS Fes stun ASEC Mimosas in stoppage time

MAS Fes produced one of the most dramatic moments of the qualifying round, snatching a place in the group stage with a goal seven minutes into second-half injury time at the Felix Houphouet Boigny Stadium in Abidjan.

The Moroccan Botola champions had fallen victim to a late equaliser from ASEC Mimosas in the first leg, which ended 1-1 in Fes. The return fixture followed a similarly tense script.

Christopher Ibayi put MAS Fes ahead after a goalless first half, before Kevin Bakera levelled for ASEC Mimosas in the 73rd minute. With a penalty shootout looming, Khalid Baba broke Ivorian hearts with a last-gasp winner that sent the MAS Fes travelling supporters into raptures.

MAS Fes will now await Wednesday's group stage draw to discover their opponents.

Al Hilal cruise through with 4-0 aggregate win

Sudanese giants Al Hilal made light work of Ethiopia's Sidama Bunna at the Amahoro Stadium in Kigali, Rwanda, repeating their first-leg scoreline to progress 4-0 on aggregate.

Ernest Luzolo Sita opened the scoring in the 33rd minute, and Mohamed Abdel Rahman added a second five minutes into first-half stoppage time. The second half produced no further goals, but Al Hilal had long since wrapped up their group stage berth in authoritative fashion.

Nouadhibou complete remarkable turnaround

FC Nouadhibou mounted a stunning comeback in Nouakchott, beating Côte d'Ivoire's FC San Pedro 2-0 on the night to advance 3-2 on aggregate — having lost the first leg 2-1 away from home.

Kartier Dembele gave the Mauritanian champions an early platform, striking in the 10th minute at Cheikha Ould Bedia Stadium. Cheikh Hattab then doubled the lead to confirm Nouadhibou's place in the group stage for only the second time in their history.