RS Berkane Wins CAF Confederation Cup 2021/2022 | Mshindi Wa CAF Confederation Cup
Morocco’s RS Berkane beat South Africa’s Orlando Pirates in penalties in the CAF Confederation Cup final. Fez lifted their Second CAF Confederation Cup at this competition after winning 5-4 on penalties shoot out after 1-1 extra time aggregate against Orlando. With their victory tonight, RS Bekane has cemented Moroccan clubs’ recent supremacy over the prized African crown.
The 2022-23 African Super Cup will now be contested between RS Berkane and the winner of CAF Champions League final which include Wydad AC vs. Al Ahly, scheduled for May 30 at Mohammed VI Stadium in Casablanca, Morocco.
Best teams from all over Africa battled for 90 down a long and arduous road – until finally, they had arrived at the finals of Africa’s second-best club competition. Neither team was thinking about anything other than winning when they took to the field for this showpiece game.
While RS Berkane sought their second continental crown, Orlando Pirates aimed to make history by winning the CAF Confederation Cup for the first time.
Knowing that finals are won rather than played, managers of both teams advised their players not to be rash and to stick to their defensive roles, especially in the early minutes.
As the game proceeded, both teams attempted to attack the opponent’s goalkeeper through multiple rounds of shots. The Moroccan team came close to scoring in the first half but just missed after shooting the ball at an angle where it couldn’t find its way past the goalkeeper.
In spite of having fewer chances, Orlando Pirates twice forced Morocco’s Hamza Hamiani into saves. However, Berkane’s compact defense kept their goalkeeper out of reach until the final moments of the first half.
With little to talk about in the first half, the referee blew the whistle, allowing both sides to refresh and re-organize their lines for the second half play.
As the second half kicked off, Orlando Pirates players fought against RS Berkane’s unrelenting defense. Their efforts were all futile though as they hit the brick walls of their opponent’s solid and sturdy defensive setup.
The Orlando Pirates controlled the field, unleashing an all-out assault on the Moroccan squad. Nonetheless, RS Berkane goalie Hamiani appeared as the team’s savior once more, clearing the South African club’s continuous threats.
Both goals came in extra time, with Youssef El Fahli breaking the tie after Berkane were granted a penalty.
However, Thembinkosi Lorch leveled the game, forcing a penalty shootout in which the Pirates star became the villain for missing the sole penalty.
