The Martyrs stadium obviously did not succeed for the two representatives of Morocco in Champions League this season, since Raja andAS FAR let slip away victories that were within their reach at the start of December. After the Greens, who failed to defend their advantage against Maniema Union by cowering outrageously in defense, the Military experienced a different scenario last Saturday. Despite a strong start, the protégés ofHubert Velud marked time at the end of the first period, allowing the Congolese to unlock the counter in the 37th minute through Exaucia Moanda Kia Moanda.
Dominant in terms of possession of the ball, the Moroccans clearly lacked efficiency, facing an opponent who managed to score after his only shot on target of the match. AS FAR therefore pushed in the second half and only managed to restore parity in the 62nd minute, through the Angolan left-back To Cornero. The defender took advantage of a bright pass from captain Rabiae Hrimate, who only came on in the 60th minute. Velud’s coaching and the considerable contribution of his captain therefore allowed AS FAR to avoid a first defeat this season in the Champions League, but this draw could still cost the club first place in Group B, if THE Mamelodi Sundowns won against Raja on Sunday with a score greater than 2-0.
After the final whistle, the AS FAR coach admitted that his team had suffered towards the end of the first half, when they conceded the goal: “We started the match well and we were on the verge of unlocking the counter, but our pace dropped before the end of the first half. During the second half, we controlled the match and we knew how to manage things to our advantage, despite the difficult conditions to which we were exposed. It must be said that playing 90 minutes in Kinshasa at 2 p.m., in stifling heat and with very high humidity, is never easy. The Soldiers escaped with as little damage as possible, but they will need to recover quickly to be able to tackle their next challenge, which is just as important.
In fact, the members of the capital will be opposed to the Wydad of Casablanca this Thursday, for the update of the 13th day of the Bottle Pro You D1. A decisive clasico, since AS FAR badly needs points to regain its place on the podium, stolen by the Renaissance of Zemamra and the Maghreb of Fez. The club will cross swords with a team from Wydad which scored two victories for the first time this season this Saturday, correcting the Jeunesse de Soualem (3-0).
During the previous version of the Champions League, the Military suffered a snub by being eliminated in the second preliminary round. This participation marked the return of the Rabat club to the African C1 after ten years of absence, since the penultimate appearance of AS FAR dated from the 2014 edition (elimination in the first preliminary round against Real Bamako). The last participation of AS FAR in the group stage, before that of this edition, dates back to the 2007 edition.
