A dream start turned into a nightmare ending on Friday at the CAF Confederation Cup for supporters of Tanzanian club Azam FC. Azam won the second leg of their first round duel with Ethiopia’s Bahir Dar Kenema by a 2-1 score to level the aggregate score at 3-3 but Bahir Dar prevailed in a penalty kick shootout to advance to the second round. Bahir Dar’s victory follows Thursday’s result where AS Arta also progressed with a 6-0 aggregate defeat of Horseed FC.
After a 2-1 first leg defeat in Addis Ababa, Azam got off to an excellent start with a goal in the opening minute from Iddy Nado who finished a cross before forty seconds had elapsed. Azam star striker Prince Dube doubled his team’s lead and gave them the aggregate advantage before the ten minute mark after the hosts got behind on the left wing and the Zimbabwean marksman was left with a simple finish from a cross.
However the visitors fought back valiantly and it was Habtamu Tadesse who leveled the tie at 3-3 on aggregate after receiving an excellent pass and finishing in the 18th minute. Equal in goals as well as goals scored away from home, penalty kicks were needed and two consecutive misses for Azam at the end allowed the visitors to stun the home supporters with the winning penalty kick. Bahir Dar will face Tunisia’s Club Africain for a spot in the group stage.
Bahir Dar join Djiboutian club AS Arta in the second round after Arta defeated Somalia’s Horseed 3-0 in their second leg match on Thursday. The second leg like the first was played at the Chamazi Stadium in Tanzania where Arta won by the same score five days earlier to complete a 6-0 aggregate victory. Ghana-born Djibouti national team Gabriel Dadzie scored twice inside the opening twenty minutes before an own goal completed the scoring in the 22nd minute. AS Arta will face Zamalek of Egypt in the second round.
Highlights from both Thursday and Friday’s second leg matches are below.
Scores
Horseed (Somalia) 0-3 AS Arta (Djibouti)
AS Arta advance 6-0 on aggregate
Azam FC (Tanzania) 2-1 Bahir Dar Kenema (Ethiopia)
Tied 3-3 on aggregate; Bahir Dar Kenema win 4-3 in penalty kicks
Highlights
Azam FC 2-1 Bahir Dar Kenema (Second Leg Highlights)
Azam FC 2-1 Bahir Dar Kenema (Full Penalty Shootout)
Horseed 0-3 AS Arta
