After defeating South African Club Orlando Pirates 5-4 on penalties, Moroccan Renaissance Berkane have become 2022 champions of the CAF Confederation Cup final.
The Moroccans scored through penalty during the extra time while Orlando Pirates equalized three minutes to the extra full time.
During the penalty shoot-out, Moroccans scored four goals while South Africans slotted in three, bringing the goal haul to 5-4 at the end of the goal chase.
The tension-soaked match played at the 30,000-capacity Godswill Akpabio International Stadium, Uyo in Akwa Ibom State on Friday, May 20 was refereed by Janny Sikazwe.
Read also: Godswill Akpabio International Stadium to host CAF CL final
To reach the final, Pirates edged past Libya’s Al Ahly Tripoli 2-1 on aggregate in the last four, while Berkane overcame TP Mazembe of DR Congo – who won the competition in 2016 and 2017 – 4-2 over two legs in their semi-final tie.
Berkane are coached by former DR Congo boss Florent Ibenge, and midfielder Mamadou Lamine Camara says the Congolese has boosted the side since his arrival at the start of the season.
The Buccaneers lie seventh in the Premier Soccer League and made early exits from two domestic knockout competitions.
Clubs from Morocco and Tunisia have dominated Africa’s second-tier continental club competition since its launch in 2004, winning 11 of the 18 finals – with Berkane victorious in 2020.
Pirates won what is now the African Champions League in 1995 but lost on their sole appearance in the Confederation Cup final in 2015 to Tunisia’s Etoile du Sahel.
The Soweto-based team also want to avenge a heavy defeat to another Moroccan side in last season’s quarter-finals as they lost 5-1 on aggregate to Raja Casablanca.
The victorious Berkane got the golden trophy in addition to $1.25 million in the Caf Super Cup, while the Pyrates- the runners-up- got $625,000.
