Emmanuel Boateng scored twice as Hapoel Tel Aviv secured a 2-2 draw with Ludogorets Razgrad in the second leg of their Europa Conference League second qualifying round tie on Thursday night, advancing 4-2 on aggregate and ending the Bulgarian side’s European campaign.
The Ghanaian forward opened the scoring in the 16th minute, capitalising on a defensive error to give the visitors the lead.
Ludogorets had a chance to level before half-time, but Kwadwo Duah missed a penalty, and a goal from Bernard Tekpetey was ruled out for offside, keeping the score 1-0 at the break.
The Bulgarian side came out fighting in the second half, with Tekpetey making his presence felt with a well-taken finish in the 47th minute to haul his side back into the tie. Just seven minutes later, Alberto Salido completed the comeback, making it 2-1 on the night and giving Ludogorets hope of a remarkable turnaround.
However, Boateng struck again in the 58th minute, restoring the visitors’ two-goal aggregate lead and effectively ending Ludogorets’ hopes of progression.
The 2-2 draw meant Ludogorets exited the competition 4-2 on aggregate, marking the first time in a decade that the Bulgarian champions will not feature in the group stages of a European competition.
Boateng, who joined Hapoel Tel Aviv in the winter from Turkish side Gaziantep, has quickly made an impact in Israel and will be aiming to continue his fine form as he helps Hapoel push for a place in the Europa Conference League group stages.
