Sudanese champions Al Hilal Omdurman executed their strategy perfectly late Saturday evening in the CAF Champions League but did concede a late equalizer in a 1-1 quarterfinal first leg draw against hosts RS Berkane in Morocco. Adama Coulibaly produced a brilliant dribbling run on the right flank before setting up Abdel Raouf for a finish from close range for the visitors’s lead in the 13th minute. A late penalty kick did prevent a shock victory, but the result sets up an opportunity for the Sudanese club to reach the semifinals of Africa’s premier club competition for the first time in 10 years. Laurențiu Reghecampf’s side did brilliantly to earn a positive result in hostile territory. Conceding most possession to the hosts, Hilal were able to limit Berkane’s opportunities while seeking chances with direct play. In the 13th minute, the formula worked perfectly. With Burundian winger Jean Claude Girumugisha on the opposite flank from Malian speed merchant Coulibaly, it was the latter who provided the crucial moment by dancing around Berkane defender Oussama Haddadi to get close to goal before cutting back for Raouf, who was wide open to fire into the roof of the net. And the hosts never recovered from the early shock. The Hilal defense concentrated their efforts further and struggled to find the solution to unlock their opponents’ defensive approach. Al Hilal nearly stole a second goal in the final minutes after RS Berkane goalkeeper Anas Zniti made a dreadful error on the ball. However, the veteran did recover to clear before Girumugisha cut inside from the left wing to fire wide. The 8 minutes of additional time gave the hosts an opportunity to look for equalizer which came toward the end of the game after Hilal right back Steven Ebuela’s careless late challenge took down Berkane substitute Hamza El Moussaoui after a cross attempt and a penalty kick was awarded. A red card was issued to the Congolese defender following a VAR review before Mounir Chouiar fired past goalkeeper Farid Ouédraogo from the spot to equalize at the end. The two teams will meet for the second leg next Sunday in Kigali, Rwanda, where Hilal continue to participate in the Rwanda Premier League as a guest club due to the ongoing war in Sudan.
