African Champions League: AS FAR Moves Closer to Quarterfinals, RS Berkane Defers Decision to Final Matchday
L’AS FAR has made a significant step toward qualifying for the quarter-finals of the African Champions League, while Renaissance de Berkane missed the chance to secure their spot, leaving the outcome to be decided on the final matchday of the group stage.
Valuable Victory for AS FAR in Rabat
The military club triumphed over Young Africans of Tanzania with a score of 1-0 during the fifth round of Group B, held at the Olympic Stadium in Rabat. This crucial win keeps AS FAR’s hopes alive for qualification ahead of the last matchday, where a drew against Egypt’s Al Ahly will be sufficient for them to secure a place in the quarter-finals.
Teammates of Mohamed Rabii Hrimat aimed for a more significant victory to ensure direct qualification, especially considering their earlier match in Tanzania ended in a defeat (0-1).
With this success, AS FAR brings its total to 8 points, placing them second behind Al Ahly (9 points), who have already qualified after their draw with JS Kabylie (0-0). Young Africans sit in third with 5 points, while JS Kabylie trails at the bottom with 3 points, without any hope of qualification.
Renaissance de Berkane Misses the Opportunity
On the other hand, Renaissance de Berkane, the second Moroccan representative in the competition, compromised their chances of early qualification after suffering a second consecutive defeat, this time against Power Dynamos of Zambia (0-2) during the fifth round of Group A.
The Oranges had already fallen to Pyramids FC (0-3) in the previous match in Cairo.
A Decisive Final Match for Berkane
Despite these setbacks, qualification remains within reach for the squad of Moïne Chaâbani, currently sitting second in the group with 7 points. RS Berkane must win their match on the sixth and final matchday at the municipal stadium in Berkane against Rivers United of Nigeria, who are at the bottom of the table with just one point.
For context, the Berkane club started the competition strongly, defeating Power Dynamos (3-0), followed by an away win against Rivers United (2-1), and then settling for a draw at home against Pyramids (0-0).
Pyramids Secure a Wide Victory
In another match from the group, Pyramids FC, featuring Moroccan internationals Mohamed Chibi and Walid El Karti, recorded a convincing victory on the field of Rivers United (4-1), thus consolidating their position in the race for qualification.
