CAF Confederations cup debutants Remo Stars gave a good account of themselves as they held their hosts AS FAR Rabat to a 1-1 draw at the Stade Prince Moulay Abdellah, Rabat, Morocco on Sunday night as the Ikenne boys put up a good performance on their maiden entrance on the continent.
After their blistering run in the Nigeria Professional Football League last season where they finished in the third position, Remo Stars showed they were ready to take the continent by storm on their first try.
Daniel Ogunmodede’s side carved out the first real chance of the game on six minutes which was wasted by Edidiong Ezekiel. Also, Seun Ogunrinde also hit the cross bar from a corner kick. After surviving the initial onslaught from Remo Stars, AS FAR took the lead in the 27th minute and they held on to the solitary goal till the end of the first half. Adams Olamilekan headed home the equalizer off a corner four minutes after the break.
Remo Stars goalkeeper Bankole Kayode was also in fantastic form as he made several vital saves in the game. Remo Stars held on for a draw despite pressure from the home team. The reverse fixture will take place on Sunday, September 18 in Ikenne.
Nigeria’s other representative in the CAF consideration Kwara United Kwara United made light work of AS Douanes of Niger Republic by thrashing them 3-0 at the Mobolaji Johnson Arena on Sunday night. Wasiu Jimoh was the star of the show as he bagged a first-half brace; his first was from the penalty spot after the referee penalized the Douanes defense for a handball.
Paul Samson netted the curtain on a rainy evening in the fifth minute of action, Samson Paul got the first goal for the harmony boys after Douanes goalkeeper could only punch a powerful strike from Wasiu unto the path of the number 11, who then calmly tucked it into an empty net. Jimoh doubled the advantage from the spot in the 17th minute before wrapping up the resounding win with an assured finish to give Kwara United a strong result heading into the second half.
The second half was a different ball game as the visitors came out of their shells and almost grabbed an away goal, but the opportunity fell flat. The Nigerien side did enough to suggest that the second leg won’t be straightforward for Kwara United.
The striker scored his second of the game late in the first half but the hosts failed to add to their advantage missing a number or goal-scoring chances.The return leg is billed for Niamey next weekend.
