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CAF Confederation Cup

Rival Rwandan Fans Hail Rivers United

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BY: SAMMY WEJINYA

 

 

Fans of Rwandan club, Armée Patriotique Rwandaise Football Club (APR), local rivals of Rivers United’s Confederation Cup opponents, Rayon Sports  on Friday stormed the Amahoro Stadium, Kigali to cheer players of Nigerian club, Rivers United ahead of Saturday’s match.

As Rivers United held a training session at the Amahoro Stadium ahead of the decisive second leg game,  the fans, numbering well over a thousand, were in full voice, singing local songs and chanting, ‘Rivers! Rivers!

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APR and Rayon Sports are bitter rivals domestically with fans of either club known to support opponents of their foes. Eric Ravi, a well-known fan of APR, explained that Rivers United will receive ‘massive support’ from APR fans who are eager to see Rayon Sports eliminated from the 2017 CAF Confederation Cup.

“We (fans of Rayon Sports) will give massive support to Rivers United (on Saturday) because we don’t want Rayon to reach the group stage of the competition,” Ravi told supersport.com.

A female supporter of Rayon who simply identified herself as ‘Shaka’ however stated that the majority of the support on Saturday will be for Rayon.

“Of course, there will be some fans of APR who will support Rivers United on Saturday but I can tell you that the majority of the fans at the Amahoro Stadium on match day will be rooting for Rayon Sports.

“Rayon Sports is the club of the common man in Rwanda and as such, the people identify with the club.

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“Rivers United will lose on Saturday and it will be a victory for the people of Rwanda,” Shaka declared. Rivers United defeated Rayon Sports 2-0 in the first leg of the playoff tie in Port Harcourt last Sunday.

 

 

 

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Kunle Solaja is the author of landmark books on sports and journalism as well as being a multiple award-winning journalist and editor of long standing. He is easily Nigeria’s foremost soccer diarist and Africa's most capped FIFA World Cup journalist, having attended all FIFA World Cup finals from Italia ’90 to Qatar 2022. He was honoured at the Qatar 2022 World Cup by FIFA and AIPS.

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CAF Confederation Cup

Renaissance de Berkane are  third-time CAF Confederation Cup winners

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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.

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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.

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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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Berkane’s coach determined to return with CAF Confederation Cup trophy

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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.”

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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.

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“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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Excitement builds ahead of CAF Confederation Cup return leg

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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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