February 26 – Alianza Lima of Peru defeated Boca Juniors 5-4 from the penalty spot to eliminate the Argentinians from the Copa Libertadores qualifiers.
Alan Velasco failed to convert his spot kick in the shootout, allowing Lima to claim a historic victory and progress to the third and final round of qualifying for the competition, the South American equivalent of Europe’s Champions League.
Lima had won the first leg 1-0 on home soil but capitulated 2-1 at La Bombonera before prevailing in the penalty series. Boca had their share of bad luck as Milton Giménez hit the bar and Edison Cavani missed a great opportunity in the final minutes of the match.
The Peruvians have been rewarded with a tie against Chile’s Deportes Iquique who knocked out another Argentinian club Independiente Santa Fe.
Following the elimination, manager Fernando Gago insisted that he won’t step down, saying: “It’s a huge blow. It’s a game we deserved to win. We had a lot of chances, but it didn’t happen.
“It’s a pain, it’s a great sadness that we have in the dressing room, that the fans have. We continue to work. From that, we will continue to grow.”
“I feel 100% strong. But we’re going to keep working. We have to be self-critical and, based on that, keep working.”
It’s the second season in a row that Boca Juniors won’t feature in the Copa Libertadores. In 2023, they finished as runners-up, but last year they participated in Copa Sulamaricana, the second tier of continental club competition. The elimination by Lima will raise the pressure on club president and legend Juan Roman Riquelme who was elected in 2023.
In the summer Boca Juniors will play Benfica, Bayern Munich and Auckland City in Group B of the expanded Club World Cup in the United States.
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