Free State Stars were knocked out of the Caf Confederation Cup by Rwandan outfit Mukura Victory Sports after losing 1-0 in the Huye Stadium in Butare on Wednesday.
The winning goal was scored in the 55th minute by defender David Nshimirimana, which allowed the Rwandans to advance with an aggregate score of 1-0.
The first leg of this preliminary match ended goalless in South Africa last week, which put the pressure on Free State Stars.
The fact that Stars parted ways with their coach Luc Eymael just before the first leg made matters even trickier for the team, who were playing in the African competition for the first time.
Mukura had the upper hand from the start in front of their home fans, but could not find the back of the net in the first half.
Stars, however, had their backs against the wall after not taking advantage of playing at home in the first leg last week.
It was Mukura that had created the best scoring chances and looked the more likely to open their account on Wednesday.
Nshimirimana then made sure his side advanced to the first round of Africa’s secondary club competition when he rattled the net.
Stars will now have to concentrate their efforts on the local front in South Africa in the league, where they currently occupy 11th spot on the table.