CAF Confederation Cup
WHO LIFT CAF CONFEDERATION CUP?
BY APESIN ADEMOLA.
The first of two legs to determine the champions of Africa’s second tier club competition holds at the 45,000 capacity Stade Mohamed V in Casablanca.
Nigerians will understandably support DR Congo’s AS Vita Club to lift the title; their opponents Raja Casablanca being responsible for the exit of Enyimba in the semifinals on 3-1 aggregate.
Going down memory lane also, it was a Moroccan team (FAR Rabat) that denied Dolphins the CAF Confederation Cup in 2005. Dolphins, which have since been merged with Sharks to form Rivers United, pipped FAR 1-0 in Port Harcourt on November 6 of that year but got humiliated 3-0 in Rabat 13 days later.
DR Congo have also incurred the wrath of Nigerians. TP Mazembe inflicted pains on a Nigerian club in the final of a continental club competition.
In the 2009 edition of CAF Champions League, TP Mazembe denied Heartland the opportunity of becoming the second Nigerian team to win the CAF Champions League after Enyimba’s back-to-back victories in 2003 and 2004. In the first leg at the Dan Anyiam Stadium in Owerri, Heartland managed to win 2-1. Losing the reverse fixture 0-1 in Lubumbashi, meant that TP Mazembe won that title for the third time on away goal advantage.
AS Vita Club’s journey in Africa this year started at the CAF Champions League where they bundled out Malawi’s Mighty Wanderers 6-1 at the preliminary round but lost 2-3 aggregate to Morocco’s Difaâ Hassani d’el-Jadida 2-3 to be relegated to the Confederation Cup.
In the playoff, AS Vita Club, the current champions of the Linafoot (DR Congo’s top flight league), walloped neighbouring Congo Republic’s La Mancha 6-1 aggregate and were paired with tonight’s opponents Raja Casablanca in the group stage.
In the first leg in Casablanca, both sides played goalless, while AS Vita Club prevailed at home 2-0 in the return match. Raja however won the group, while AS Vita Club qualified for the quarterfinals as runners-up.
Another Moroccan team RS Berkane were Vita Club’s victims in the quarterfinals which they won 4-2, while Al-Masry of Egypt fell 0-4 in the last four.
This is Vita Club’s first time in the final of any CAF club tournament since winning the 1973 African Cup of Champions Clubs. They will be seeking to keep the CAF Confederation Cup at home as TP Mazembe were champions last year following a successful defence of the title they won the previous year.
Raja, on their part, have three CAF Champions League and one Confederation Cup shields in their trophy cabinet.
The Moroccan club eliminated FC Nouadhibou of Mauritania and Zambia’s Zanaco on their way to the group stage of the competition. Having won Group A that included AS Vita Club, Raja knocked out CARA Brazzaville of Congo Republic 3-1 in the quarterfinals before coming to Enyimba International Stadium, Aba to beat the home side 1-0 and consolidated 2-1 in Casablanca.
The winners of the Confederation Cup this year will have achieved a first for their home association as it will field three teams as against the maximum two in the 2018/19 edition.
As a result of the abridged nature of the 2018/19 CAF club tournaments, the identify of the 2018 CAF Confederation Cup winners was not known when the draw was conducted on November 3 ahead of the preliminary round which starts next Tuesday.
With AS Vita Club having already qualified for the Champions League, SM Sanga Balende, the fourth placed side in the 2017/18 domestic league in DR Congo, will be listed in the 2018/19 CAF Confederation Cup if their compatriots overcome Raja Casablanca. They will join DC Motema Pembe and AS Nyuki as DR Congo’s contingent to the competition. But while those other teams will start from the preliminary round, SM Sanga Balende will receive a bye into the first round.
The same situation will apply if Raja lift the CAF Confederation Cup. Unlike AS Vita Club however, Raja have failed to qualify for any CAF competition but will go straight to the first round of the next Confederation Cup if they win the current edition, the same stage RS Berkane, another Moroccan representatives, will start their CAF Confederation Cup journey. What will them be Morocco’s third team Hassania Agadir will line up at the preliminary stage.
Fixture…
CAF Confederation Cup (Final first leg): Raja Casablanca (Morocco) v AS Vita Club (DR Congo) (8pm)
Moroccan side, Renaissance Sportive de Berkane secured a third continental title after drawing against Tanzania’s Simba Sports Club (2-0 in the first leg, 1-1 in the return).
Moroccan football’s representatives had the privilege of being the first to lift the new CAF trophy.
It is the fifth time they have played the final match of the competition, and they were successful in 2020 and 2022. In the return leg of the final match this Sunday, Berkane overcame challenges put in their way ahead of the match at the Amaan Stadium in Zanzibar.
The match got off to a flying start, with the hosts dominating, determined to open the scoring in the opening minutes of play. Once again, Berkane retreated into defence, a far cry from the spirit displayed in the first leg.
It took about fifteen minutes for Mouine Chaâbani’s men to truly get into the game.
While they launched their first dangerous attack, a missed opportunity in front of the opposing goal cost them dearly. On the ensuing counterattack, Simba’s Zambian striker, Joshua Mutale, beat goalkeeper Munir Mohamedi in the 17th minute.
The second half resumed with the same intensity, but the tension rose, especially after Simba attacking midfielder Yusuph Kagoma was sent off for a second yellow card.
Berkane then took a numerical advantage and regained control of the game.
Stung to the quick, the home side continued to engage in skirmishes, but without any real threat to goalkeeper Munir Mohamedi.
Yet, even with ten men down, Simba’s players gave the Berkanis a hard time, posing several threats.
Deliverance finally came in the 93rd minute thanks to Mamadou Lamine Camara, who scored the equaliser, in a closely contested duel, in a packed stadium, and under the eyes of Fouzi Lekjaa, president of the FRMF, as well as Walid Regragui, national coach.
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RS Berkane head coach Moine Chaabani says his side is fully focused and prepared for Sunday’s second leg of the Confederation Cup final against Tanzania’s Simba SC, as they seek to secure a third continental title.
The Moroccan club takes a 2-0 lead into the return leg at Amaan Stadium in Zanzibar following an early double from Mamadou Camara and Oussama Lamlaoui in the first leg in Berkane.
Speaking ahead of the crucial clash, Chaabani emphasized that his players have left nothing to chance.
“We are focused on the match, and we must adapt to all circumstances, no matter how difficult,” he said during the pre-match press conference.
“We came here to play a 90-minute match, and there is no room for distraction.”
The Tunisian tactician, who led the team to last year’s final only to suffer defeat against Zamalek, underlined the hunger within the squad to go one step further this time.
“We have worked hard since that disappointment, and today we are even more determined to win the title and bring the cup back to Morocco.”
RS Berkane will be boosted by the availability of key players Haitham Manout and Paul Valery, although final decisions on their involvement will be made after the last training session.
“All players are present. The decision on their participation will depend on their readiness,” he added.
Chaabani also pointed to his side’s growing experience in navigating difficult African environments, saying they are mentally conditioned for the high-stakes occasion.
“We have a strong immune system to handle these conditions, and we will manage our physical effort according to the match’s progress,” he said.
“We hope to rise to the occasion and succeed in pleasing the Berkane fans, who always support us, to win the title.”
The return leg kicks off at 13:00 GMT on Sunday. A draw or even a narrow defeat by a one-goal margin will be enough for Berkane to lift the TotalEnergies CAF Confederation Cup trophy.
-CAF
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Following a 2-0 win for RS Berkane over Simba SC in the first leg of the 2024-25 CAF Confederation Cup Final in Berkane, Morocco, attention will turn to the return fixture on the island of Zanzibar this Sunday.
The match will be played at Amaan Stadium at 16h00 local time (13h00 GMT) and will be live across all CAF’s broadcast partners, including Azam Media, beIN Sport, Canal+, SuperSport, SABC and several other global platforms.
RS Berkane go to the second leg with the advantage after early goals from Mamadou Camara and Oussama Lamlaoui at home, but Simba SC have shown plenty of fighting spirit already this campaign and will be confident of overturning the deficit.
The winners of this year’s CAF Confederation Cup will be awarded a new trophy that will be unveiled later this week.
CAF and host club Simba SC are working closely together to ensure that the event in Zanzibar is a success.
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