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Five-time African champions TP Mazembe have parted company with boss Franck Dumas and his entire coaching staff after being knocked out of this season's Champions League before the group stage.
The DR Congo club suffered the shock of the second preliminary round after being beaten on penalties by Uganda's Vipers SC.
The visitors won the shoot-out 4-2 in Lubumbashi on Saturday after both legs of the tie ended goalless.
Continental champions as recently as 2015, TP Mazembe have failed to reach the group stage for the second successive campaign.
The embarrassing exit has led to the departure of Dumas, with the Frenchman's predecessor Pamphile Mihayo swiftly installed for a third stint as coach.
Mihayo, who captained TP Mazembe as they reached the final of the 2010 Club World Cup, is set to take charge until the end of the season.
Meanwhile, holders Wydad Casablanca beat Nigeria's Rivers United 6-0 on Sunday for a 7-2 aggregate victory, after losing narrowly in Port Harcourt a week ago.
Captain Yahya Jabrane and Senegalese Bouly Sambou both scored twice, with Ayoub el Amloud and Hamid Ahadad also on target for Wydad in a dominant display.
The thumping win over Rivers will come as a huge relief for Wydad coach Houcine Ammouta, who had come under pressure after losing the Caf Super Cup to rivals RS Berkane and then failing in the first leg in Nigeria.
Elsewhere, Al Hilal of Sudan edged Young Africans of Tanzania 1-0 in Omdurman to join compatriots Al Merrikh among the last 16 contenders.
Captain Mohamed Abdelrahman scored after just three minutes to earn two-time Champions League runners-up Hilal a 2-1 aggregate victory.
The other major Tanzanian club, Simba, did succeed, beating Primeiro Agosto of Angola 1-0 in Dar es Salaam after establishing a 3-1 first-leg lead.
Zambian Moses Phiri scored the only goal for his fifth of the competition, two fewer than top scorer Fiston Mayele of Young Africans.
Goals from Souaibou Marou and Patient Wassou ensured Coton Sport of Cameroon also qualified thanks to a 2-1 win - and 3-2 aggregate success - over Royal Leopard of Eswatini in Garoua.
Teams in the African Champions League group stage: CR Belouizdad and JS Kabylie (Algeria), Petro Luanda (Angola), Coton Sport (Cameroon), Al Ahly and Zamalek (Egypt), Horoya (Guinea), Wydad Casablanca and Raja Casablanca (Morocco), Mamelodi Sundowns (South Africa), Al Hilal and Al Merrikh (Sudan), Esperance (Tunisia), Simba SC (Tanzania), Vipers SC (Uganda).
Hamdi Fathy helped last season's runners-up Al Ahly into the group stage of the Champions League
Guinea's Horoya levelled in added time to draw 1-1 with ASEC Mimosas of the Ivory Coast in a big west African showdown in Nongo near Conakry to advance 2-1 on aggregate.
The outcome confirmed Horoya as the most successful club in the region, having booked a fifth group-stage appearance in six seasons.
On Saturday, Hamdi Fathi scored twice as record 10-time champions Al Ahly of Egypt beat Tunisia's US Monastir 3-0 to advance 4-0 on aggregate, while Esperance of Tunisia edged past Nigerian club Plateau United on away goals following a 1-0 win in Rades, having lost the first leg 2-1 in Abuja.
Beaten sides will drop into the play-off round of the Caf Confederation Cup, while there is only one spot left to be filled for the 16-team Champions League group stage.
Former champions Vita Club of DR Congo drew 0-0 away to preliminary round giant-killers Rail Kadiogo in a delayed first leg.
Kadiogo had to host the match in Cotonou, Benin, because there is no international-standard stadium in Burkina Faso.
In the Confederation Cup, Hearts of Oak's exit means there will be no Ghanaian representation in continental competition this season.
The Accra-based side beat Real Bamako 1-0 at home on Sunday, but could not overturn a 3-0 first-leg deficit.
Holders RS Berkane are still involved after sneaking past Kwara Utd of United on away goals, after a 2-0 home win saw the tie end 3-3 on aggregate.
