Dakar’s Jaraaf secured a valuable victory on Sunday at the Abdoulaye Wade Stadium, defeating Botswana’s Orapa United FC 1-0 in stoppage time on the fourth day of Group C of the African Football Confederation Cup ( CIF).
After a goalless first leg, both teams were under pressure to secure a victory and maintain their hopes of qualifying for the quarter-finals. The match, played behind closed doors, saw the Senegalese team take the initiative from the first minutes, creating several scoring opportunities without succeeding in realizing them.
A turning point could have come in the 13th minute when Jaraaf were awarded a penalty after Mame Saer Guèye saw her attempted header blocked with her hand by an Orapa United FC defender. However, Botswana goalkeeper Lesenya Malapela brilliantly saved the Jaraaf captain’s shot, leaving the score 0-0 at half-time.
Returning from the locker room, Malick Daf’s men continued to dominate, increasing their incursions into the opposing half. Despite their offensive intensity, the Jaraaf attackers, prolific in the preliminary phase with eight goals, struggled to find the fault.
-It was only at the very end of the match, in added time, that Almamy Matheuw Fall released his team. On a perfectly delivered cross from Rémy Bocandé, Fall placed an unstoppable header, scoring the only goal of the match and giving Jaraaf a crucial victory.
Thanks to this success, Jaraaf de Dakar now has five points in four matches, occupying third place in group C. This victory revives the Senegalese hopes of qualifying for the quarter-finals. They will face ASEC Abidjan on the fifth day, a decisive match for the rest of their journey in the CAF Cup.
In the other group match, USM Alger earned a 1-1 away draw against ASEC Mimosas, adding to the tension in this group where the race for qualification remains open.
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