CR Belouizdad (CRB) secured their spot in the CAF Confederation Cup group stage with a decisive 2-0 victory over Guinea’s Hafia FC on Friday. The win, in the second leg of their preliminary round tie, was played at the newly reopened Nelson Mandela Stadium, marking its first official match since the Algerian Cup final in July. A large and enthusiastic crowd filled the stadium, providing strong support for coach Saad Ramovitch’s team against the Guinean side, managed by Algerian coach Lakhdar Adjali.
The goals that sealed Belouizdad’s progression came from Abderrahmane Meziane in the 55th minute and Lotfi Bousouar in the 68th minute. These goals built upon their 1-1 draw in the first leg in Conakry, ultimately securing their qualification.
Despite the comfortable scoreline, the match proved to be a challenging encounter. Hafia FC posed a significant threat to Belouizdad’s goal, with goalkeeper Farid Chaal delivering an outstanding performance. Chaal made several crucial saves, denying the Guinean team what seemed like certain goals and earning him the Man of the Match award.
CR Belouizdad, led by the influential Housseyn Benayada, who provided both assists in the game, will now await the draw for the group stage. The draw is scheduled to take place on November 3rd in Johannesburg, South Africa, where they will discover their opponents in the next phase of the competition. The team is aiming for a deep run in the CAF Confederation Cup.
Meanwhile, the other Algerian representative in the competition, USM Alger, will face ASEC Mimosas of Ivory Coast on Saturday at the July 5th Stadium. USM Alger are looking to overturn a 1-0 deficit from the first leg. All Algerian football fans are hoping for two teams in the group stage.
This victory is a significant achievement for CR Belouizdad and a boost for Algerian football. The team showed resilience and determination to overcome a tough opponent and advance in the CAF Confederation Cup. The fans are eager to see how far they can go in the competition. Key words: CR Belouizdad, CAF Confederation Cup, African football, Algeria, Hafia FC, group stage, qualification.
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