Masandawana defeated Young Africans in their quarter-final clash, while the Blood and Gold overcame Ivorian side ASEC Mimosas. The four-time competition winners will face the South African football giants for a seventh and eighth match-up. Esperance faced a tough challenge from their west African counterparts in the quarter-finals, winning 4-2 on penalties after both legs ended goalless.
Despite this, they are preparing to face Downs in the coming weeks. Esperance boss Cardoso expressed optimism about his team’s chances against the DStv Premiership champions, stating that they continue to work towards being ready for the upcoming match.