African soccer marked the passing of an era in Tunis on Saturday as Tunisian club Esperance were undone in the first leg of the African Champions League final. Esperance's 2-1 home defeat by Hearts of Oak from Ghana has possibly brought down the curtain on a decade of dominance by the north African club as well as on a generation of players who have enjoyed unprecedented success in continental club competition.

It was only the second time that Esperance had lost at home in African club competition in 45 games stretching back to 1971. They were playing in their fourth successive African club competition final. The result leaves Hearts needing just a home draw in the return leg in Accra on December 17 to win their first Champions League title and swing the balance of power away from north Africa.

Esperance were the first club to get a grand slam of African club titles, winning the Champions League, the African Cup Winners' Cup and the CAF Cup in the space of four years between 1994 and 1998. They were also runners-up in last year's Champions League final, denied another title only in a post-match penalty shootout by Raja Casablanca of Morocco.

Such has been their home dominance that Esperance had scored 100 goals more than the 20 conceded in all their African club competition matches at the El Menzah stadium. Five of their players in Saturday's match against Hearts had won medals in two previous finals and veteran goalkeeper Chokri El Ouaer, midfielders Sirajeddine Chihi and Hassan Gabsi and wingback Tarek Thabet had four winners' medals. But apart from Gabsi on Saturday, there was little evidence of the overwhelming dominance wich the ageing group of Esperance players have enjoyed in Africa in recent years. Instead a tired-looking team ran out of ideas against their youthful opponents from Ghana.

Chihi was out-run in the midfield, Thabet tormented at the back and El Ouaer left with no chance to save the two goals that Hearts scored in the second half. "It was a match supposed to show our dominance over the last five years," said Gabsi.

Esperance did have the upper hand in the first half but squandered countless chances. Hearts' goalkeeper Sammy Adjei made some vital saves in a stunning individual performance.

But after the interval the Tunisian favourites fell apart to goals from Ishmael Addo and Emmanuel Osei Kuffour as Hearts won a remarkable game.