MOROCCO club Moghreb Fes won a first CAF title on Sunday by defeating Tunisian visitors Club Africain 6-5 in a penalty shootout climax to the two-leg Confederation Cup final.
Malian Moussa Tigana snatched his first goal in the competition since January three minutes into first-half stoppage time to give Moghreb a 1-0 victory that cancelled a first-leg loss by the same score in Tunis two weeks ago.
It was a heartbreaking outcome for veteran Africain coach Faouzi Benzarti, who was in charge of Tunisian giants Esperance last year when they lost the more prestigious CAF Champions League final.
The defeat also crushed Tunisian dreams of a CAF double as Esperance atoned this year by reaching a second consecutive Champions League final and scoring the lone goal of two tense tussles with Wydad Casablanca from Morocco.
Moghreb had defender Samir Zekroumi sent off an hour into the first leg and this time it was Club Africain who saw red with giant Chadian striker Ezechiel Ndouassel was dismissed 30 minutes from full time.
Ndouassel, one of the most promising young goal poachers on the continent, watched the first leg of the final from the stands because he was serving a suspension.
Goalkeeper Anas Zniti was the star of the shootout, blocking the seventh Club Africain attempt to the delight of most in a capacity crowd at the Fes Sports Complex. Fes have a mid-February date in Tunis with Esperance in a one-off match for the CAF Super Cup.
Fes bask in glow of CAF title
MOROCCO club Moghreb Fes won a first CAF title on Sunday by defeating Tunisian visitors Club Africain 6-5 in a penalty shootout climax to the two-leg Confederation Cup final.
Malian Moussa Tigana snatched his first goal in the competition since January three minutes into first-half stoppage time to give Moghreb a 1-0 victory that cancelled a first-leg loss by the same score in Tunis two weeks ago.
It was a heartbreaking outcome for veteran Africain coach Faouzi Benzarti, who was in charge of Tunisian giants Esperance last year when they lost the more prestigious CAF Champions League final.
The defeat also crushed Tunisian dreams of a CAF double as Esperance atoned this year by reaching a second consecutive Champions League final and scoring the lone goal of two tense tussles with Wydad Casablanca from Morocco.
Moghreb had defender Samir Zekroumi sent off an hour into the first leg and this time it was Club Africain who saw red with giant Chadian striker Ezechiel Ndouassel was dismissed 30 minutes from full time.
Ndouassel, one of the most promising young goal poachers on the continent, watched the first leg of the final from the stands because he was serving a suspension.
Goalkeeper Anas Zniti was the star of the shootout, blocking the seventh Club Africain attempt to the delight of most in a capacity crowd at the Fes Sports Complex. Fes have a mid-February date in Tunis with Esperance in a one-off match for the CAF Super Cup.