Kwara United FC of Ilorin on Sunday September 11th, 2022, began their TotalEnergies Confederation Cup campaign with a 3-0 win over visiting AS Douanes of Niger Republic.
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The first leg, First Round encounter was played at the Mobolaji Johnson Arena, in Lagos.
Kwara United drew the first blood in the fifth minute when Samson Paul followed up Wasiu Jimoh’s rebound effort to tap home at close range.
The homers controlled most of the proceedings and were dictating the pace of the game with Issa Gata leading with his mesmerizing display in the middle of the park.
The centre referee pointed to the spot in the 17th minute when a player of AS Douanes was adjudged to have handled the ball inside the vital area.
Wasiu Jimoh stepped forward to take the penalty, even though the visitors’ goalkeeper, Omar Halidou got the angle right, the ball was too fast for him to catch for the 2nd goal of the match in the 17th minute.
Kwara United maintained their dominance of the match and kept the pressure on for most duration of the first 45 minutes.
With five minutes left on the clock before the break, Kwara United added the third goal of the match with Gata winning possession in dangerous area, as Wasiu Jimoh gained advantage and scored with a powerful shot.
Even though rain affected the flow of the game in the first half, the 2nd half was more competitive as the visitors troubled the hosts, especially in the midfield.
The visitors attempts to reduce the tally was always thwarted by the resilient efforts of the duo of Ayodeji Bamidele and Abiodun Adebayo in the defence for Kwara United.
The return leg match will hold at the Général Seyni Kountché Stadion or Stade Municipal de Niamey, Niamey, Niger, the home grounds of the team on September 18.
The winner, over the two legs will play Moroccan side, Berkane, who are the current holders of the Confederation Cup title.
This is Kwara United FC’s third appearance in CAF competitions, having played in CAF Cup in 1999/2000 and in 2006/2007 seasons.
Kwara United FC finished fourth in the 2021/2022 Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) season, and tipped alongside Remo Stars, to represent the country in the Confederation Cup.
