CAF Confed Cup: Struggling Holders Raja Out To Avenge Berkane Defeat
2nd March 2019
Group winners and runners-up qualify for the quarter-finals in the African equivalent of the UEFA Europa League and AFP Sport looks at what may lie in store during matchday 4
- Off-form CAF Confederation Cup trophy-holders Raja Casablanca are bottom of Group A with just two points ahead of a vital away match against fellow Moroccans Renaissance Berkane Sunday
- Helped by two goals from Togolese Kodjo Fo-Doh Laba, Berkane triumphed 4-2 away to Raja last weekend and home advantage gives them a good chance of succeeding again
- While NA Hussein Dey of Algeria host leaders Gor Mahia of Kenya in a top-of-the-table showdown, bottom club Zamalek of Egypt will be battling for survival away to Petro Atletico of Angola
JOHANNESBURG, South
Africa- Off-form CAF Confederation Cup trophy-holders Raja Casablanca are
bottom of Group A with just two points ahead of a vital away match against
fellow Moroccans Renaissance Berkane Sunday.
Helped by two goals from Togolese Kodjo Fo-Doh Laba, Berkane
triumphed 4-2 away to Raja last weekend and home advantage gives them a good
chance of succeeding again.
Berkane top the table with seven points, Hassania Agadir of
Morocco have four and AS Otoho Oyo of Congo Brazzaville and Raja two each.
Group winners and runners-up qualify for the quarter-finals
in the African equivalent of the UEFA Europa League and AFP Sport looks at what
may lie in store during matchday 4.
Group A
French coach Patrice Carteron was hired in January to turn
around the fortunes of Raja, but has been unable to do so with just two
victories from seven matches in all competitions.
A 2-1 midweek loss at FAR Rabat left Raja 17 points adrift
of fierce rivals Wydad in the Moroccan title race and a defeat by Berkane could
lead to the 48-year-old being axed.
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After pipping Otoho in Morocco last Sunday, Agadir will hope
for at least a point from the return match in central Africa to increase hopes
of qualifying for the knockout stage.
Group B
Enugu Rangers of Nigeria surrendered the last unbeaten
record in the Confederation Cup this season when they allowed Etoile Sahel of
Tunisia to come from behind at home and beat them.
The clubs meet for the second time within eight days, this
time in west Africa, where the odds favour Enugu, especially if leading scorers
Godwin Aguda and Bright Silas click.
After surprisingly holding CS Sfaxien in Tunisia, Salitas of
Burkina Faso can become contenders for a top-two finish if they beat the record
three-time Confederation Cup winners in Ouagadougou.
Group C
Al Hilal of Sudan are the only club to take an away point so
far in this section and face Zesco United again this weekend, at home, knowing
a win will probably lift them to the top.
Current occupants of first place, Nkana of Zambia, beat
Asante Kotoko of Ghana in Kitwe, but the west Africans are likely to exact
revenge before an expected 30,000 crowd in Kumasi.
Nkana will lack two regular defenders, Ghanaian Richard
Ocran and Kenyan Musa Mohammed, due to suspensions with Given Sinyangwe and
Joseph Musonda possible replacements.
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Group D
While NA Hussein Dey of Algeria host leaders Gor Mahia of
Kenya in a top-of-the-table showdown, bottom club Zamalek of Egypt will be
battling for survival away to Petro Atletico of Angola.
Seeded to finish first, the nine-time CAF title winners from
Cairo conceded four goals in losing away to Gor on matchday 1 and were then
held at home by Hussein Dey and Petro.
A draw is probably the most the Egyptians can hope for in
Angola on current form, but the side guided by former Tottenham Hotspur manager
Christian Gross really need maximum points.