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Aduana Stars’ Derrick Sasraku (with raised hand celebrating his winning goal with teammates.  Picture: Oscar  Mohammed (Courtesy: FAB Energy Drink)
Aduana Stars’ Derrick Sasraku (with raised hand celebrating his winning goal with teammates. Picture: Oscar  Mohammed (Courtesy: FAB Energy Drink)

CAF Competition: Aduana Stars edge out Al Tahadi, Kotoko lose to CARA

Ghana’s champions Aduana Stars lived up to the expectations of their teeming fans by defeating visitors, Al Tahadi of Libya, 2-0 at the Nana Agyeman Badu Park yesterday to qualify for the next stage of the CAF Champions League.


Aduana qualified on a 2-1 aggregate after losing the first leg match 0-1 in Egypt on February 11. They will next play Algerian side, Entente Setif.

However, yesterday’s win did not come on a silver platter as the anxious home fans had to wait until the second half before Coach Yusif Abubakar’s players found their scoring boots.

And when the first goal came nine minutes into the second half through midfielder Elvis Opoku, the joy of the vociferous home fans knew no bounds as they jumped off their seats and spontaneously burst into their favourite "Aduana Ogya" song.

The barren first half witnessed an avalanche of corner kicks in favour of the home side as their forward led by Derrick Sasraku and Nathaniel Asamoah lay siege on the goal area of El Tahaddi in search for an early goal to cancel the 0-1 deficit they carried into the match from the first leg. But try as Aduana’s attackers did, they could not find the net partly through elementary mistakes and solid defending by the visiting side.

Typical of North African teams, Al Tahadi came into the second half adopting delaying tactics to frustrate the home side. However, in the 54th minute when an unmarked Opoku connected home a low drive by Noah Mantey from outside the penalty box to put Aduana on the path to victory the stadium was set alive.

As the match wore on, Al Tahadi goalkeeper Rasheed Fathi continued to adopt delaying tactics and earned a yellow card from Congolese referee Jessie Oved Nkounkou Mvouton, as the visitors did all they can to prevent Aduana from scoring another goal.

Their luck ran out in the 74th minute when Sasraku atoned for earlier missed chances to score the winning goal. The striker latched on to a pass from Nathaniel Asamoah from the right flank and fired the ball to the blind side of onrushing goalkeeper Fathi.

With defeat staring at them, Al Tahadi had no other choice but to abandon their defensive tactics and opened up in search of a goal and a lifeline, but their effort yielded no result as Aduana’s backline, marshalled by Anokye Badum Caleb Amankwaah, Abdul Rashid and Paul Aidoo, were resolute in defence until the match ended, throwing the stadium and parts of the town into a festive mood.

Kotoko lose to CARA on penalties

Asante Kotoko have been eliminated from the 2018 CAF Confederation Cup after losing 7-6 on penalties to Congolese side, CARA, in Brazzaville yesterday.

The hosts won 1-0 in regulation time to tie 1-1 on aggregate at the Stade Alphonse Massamba-Débat.

During the shootout, goalkeeper Felix Annan opened the scoring but that was followed by successive misses by Obed Owusu and Amos Frimpong.

During the shootout, Annan did his best to save three spot kicks from CARA Brazzaville.

Nafiu Awudu and Mohammed Yakubu also scored before Jackson Owusu missed his kick.

Jordan Opoku and Baba Mahama also found the back of the net later to take the lead before CARA levelled.

Still in sudden death, Kwame Boahene missed his kick only for CARA to convert expertly to progress to the next round. - Ghanasoccernet.com

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