RS Berkane’s bid to win the third CAF Confederation Cup title got off brilliantly as they defeated Tanzanian side Simba SC 2-0 in the first leg of the finals.
The atmosphere in the Stade Municipal de Berkane was so sensational as Berkane’s fans were there in their numbers.
The Moroccan had planned to win the first leg by at least a 2-0 goal difference and hence planned for a good start.
22-year-old Senegalese midfielder Mamadou Camara opened the scoring in the 8th minute. The Moroccans doubled their lead in the 14th minute as star striker Oussama Lamlioui scored his 4th goal in his last four games in the competition.
Mouin Chabaani’s side made life so difficult for the Tanzanians with just 15 minutes played. The night promised to be a difficult one for the visitors, but they, little by little, started to find their rhythm.
There was not much to separate the teams in the first half in terms of possession. Fadlu Davids’ side had two options ahead of the second half: either to prevent the Moroccans from scoring again or score at least a goal.
Youssef Mehri, in the 60th minute, scored a third goal for Berkane. It was almost a case of the die being cast for Simba in the finals. Luckily for the Tanzanians, VAR intervened and disallowed the goal, much to the annoyance of the fans of Berkane. It was elation for the visitors.
Berkane could not add the third after Simba decided to tighten up their defence.
The 2-0 first-leg score line could be overturned by Simba in the second leg, although the opponents are extremely strong.
