Ghana defender Harrison Afful and his Esperance team crashed out of the CAF Champions League following a 2-2 draw at ES Setif on Saturday.

The Tunisian giants needed a win to stay alive in the competition and were the quickest out of the blocks in the game played at Setif with striker Ahmed Akaichi scoring after just seven minutes.

Akram Djahnit equalized from the spot for the Algerian club in the 29th minute before returning to complete his brace six minutes into the restart before an ecstatic home crowd.

Akaichi also came back to score his second to even the scores and hand Esperance a lifeline with 18 minutes left.

The two-time champions pushed for the winner – which could have kept them in the competition – that never came.

The result meant Esperance moved from the bottom of Group A but with just four points and a further four behind second-placed Setif with just a game left to play.

It also means Esperance misses out on a chance of making their fifth straight semi-finals in the flagship continental club competition.