AS Real Bamako booked their place in the Confederation Cup group stage by holding ES Zarzis to a 2-2 draw at the Stade Mamadou Konaté, thanks to an equaliser in stoppage time.
It took until the 92nd minute for the Stade Mamadou Konaté to erupt. AS Real Bamako, held 2-2 by ES Zarzis, confirmed their qualification thanks to their 3-1 win in Tunisia in the first leg. With a 5-3 aggregate, the Malian club joins the sixteen teams that will contest the group stage.
Trailing 2-1 on the night after conceding twice in quick succession in the second half, the Bamako side found the resources to equalise at the death. The scenario rewards the attacking solidity they showed across the tie, with five goals scored in 180 minutes.
Diallo sets his team on their way, Zarzis hit back
Striker Bourama Diallo had nonetheless given Real Bamako the lead just before the break. In the 45th minute he opened the scoring and stretched the aggregate lead to 4-1, according to CAF Online.
But Espérance Sportive de Zarzis did not give up. The Tunisians turned the match around in the space of four minutes, scoring in the 75th and then the 79th to lead 2-1 on the night. Those two goals revived the southern Tunisian club’s hopes of qualification.
Stoppage time brings release
Real Bamako then needed one last surge to avoid elimination. It came in the 92nd minute, when the Malians equalised at 2-2, definitively extinguishing Tunisian hopes. The ticket to the group stage was confirmed.
The qualification rests on the first leg, where Real Bamako had already won 3-1 in Tunisia. La Presse de Tunisie notes that this elimination denies Zarzis a place among the continental top 16 at the second preliminary round. In the previous round, the Tunisian club had seen off Diambars FC, notably thanks to a 3-1 win in the first leg, according to Transfermarkt.
On to the draw
The Malian club will therefore play in the group stage of the 2026-2027 Confederation Cup. The draw for that stage is scheduled for late October 2026, and the first matchday is set for 27 to 29 November 2026.