Morocco’s RS Berkane won the 2019/2020 Africa Confederation Cup on Sunday after defeating Egyptian side Pyramids 1-0.
Issoufou Dayo struck in the 15th minute to give the Tarik Sektoui’s coached outfit their first-ever continental title in a match staged at Stade Moulay Abdallah in Rabat.
The first shot of the game came courtesy of Mouhssine Yajour in the first minute but the forward fired his effort wide of the target.
Mohamed Aziz came close in the ninth minute with a shot from distance but Mahdy Soliman managed to tip the striker’s effort over the bar.
Berkane went ahead in the 15th minute as Dayo slotted home from a close range following a goalmouth scramble after a free-kick.
Tempers began boiling over soon thereafter with flying challenges with tough all-round positional play from the two sides the bone of heavy contention.
Pyramids had a chance to score an equalizer in the 26th minute when Eric Traore threaded a great through ball for Abdallah El-Said who took one touch before shooting narrowly wide from 14-yards out with a defender on his back.
At the half-hour, Mark El-Said had another shot at goal from a distance, but his powerful effort skimmed the wrong side of the crossbar.
Hesitant goalkeeping from Mahdi Soliman deep in the half almost gave Berkane a second goal, but Bakr El Helali failed to capitalize from close-range.
Pyramids’ best chance of the half came five minutes before the break when Ahmed Ayman met a corner-kick, but his eight-yard header struck the side-netting.
The second half started off with Zakaria Hadraf nearly extending Berkane’s lead as the winger tried to catch Soliman off his line but the winger’s lobbed effort sailed over the bar.
El-Said tried his luck from close range three minutes later but the Pyramids skipper fired his effort high over the bar.
Nabil Emad came close to equalizing for Pyramids in the 54th minute but the winger’s deflected effort went just wide of the right-hand post.
Ismail Mokadem tried his luck from range in the 81st minute but Soliman did well to deny the Berkane striker.
Berkane were reduced to ten men in the 89th minute after Bakr el Helali was red-carded before they surviving a tense finish to win the African equivalent of the UEFA Europa League.
