Bibiani GoldStars’ first-ever outing in the CAF Champions League ended in heartbreak after a crushing 5-0 defeat to Algerian giants JS Kabylie in Tizi Ouzou on Sunday evening.
Already trailing 2-0 from the first leg in Accra, the Ghana Premier League champions faced an uphill task, and their hopes evaporated early when goalkeeper Emmanuel Kobi turned the ball into his own net just seven minutes in.
Kabylie piled on the pressure, with Ryad Boudebouz doubling the lead in the 29th minute before Mehdi Merghem made it 3-0 midway through the second half. GoldStars’ misery deepened when defender Emmanuel Ankrah was sent off on the hour mark, leaving them a man down.
The Algerians wasted no time exploiting the advantage, as Lahlou Akhrib struck four minutes later before Oualid Maliki capped the rout in stoppage time.
The 7-0 aggregate defeat ends GoldStars’ maiden continental adventure at the preliminary stage, while JS Kabylie march on to the next round. For the Miners, attention now turns to defending their domestic title in the Ghana Premier League.