RS Berkane draws first blood in CAF Confederations cup final

RS Berkane took a commanding step towards a third continental crown with a 2-0 win over Tanzanian giants Simba SC in the first leg of the TotalEnergies CAF Confederation Cup final on Saturday evening at the Berkane Municipal Stadium.

Backed by a raucous home crowd, RS Berkane made their intentions clear from the onset, applying early pressure that yielded results within the first 10 minutes. A pinpoint corner from Hamza El Moussaoui in the 8th minute found Mamadou Camara, who rose highest to head home from close range and give the home side a dream start.

Just six minutes later, Oussama Lamlaoui doubled Berkane’s lead with a well-taken finish after latching onto an incisive pass from Imad Riahi.

To their credit, Simba pushed forward in search of an away goal, with Leonel Ateba and Elie Mpanzu both going close, but were repeatedly denied by a resolute Berkane defense and timely interventions by goalkeeper Hamza Hamiani.

The Tanzanian side was dealt a blow midway through the first half when Abdulrazack Hamza was forced off with an injury, adding to the visitors’ frustrations.

In the second half, RS Berkane looked to extend their advantage but were denied a third goal in the 60th minute after Youssef Mehri’s effort was ruled out for offside following a VAR check.

The hosts remained dangerous on the break, with late chances falling to Issoufou Dayo and Mateus Santos, but Simba’s defense held firm to prevent further damage.

As tempers flared and physicality intensified in the closing minutes, both sides made a flurry of substitutions to keep the momentum alive heading into the decisive second leg.

The return leg will be played on Sunday, 25 May at 15h00 GMT, where Simba SC will aim to overturn the deficit, while RS Berkane will look to complete the job and lift their third TotalEnergies CAF Confederation Cup title.