Raja Casablanca beat El-Kanemi Warriors 2-0 to qualify for the group stage of the Confederation Cup (4-2 on aggregate). Late goals from Aymen Barkok and Marian Huja made the difference.
They had to wait until the final minutes. At the Mohammed V sports complex, Raja Casablanca beat El-Kanemi Warriors 2-0 to book their place in the group stage of the Confederation Cup, with a 4-2 aggregate score over the two legs, according to APAnews.
Held at bay for long spells by the Nigerians, the Casablanca side forced the breakthrough thanks to former Morocco international Aymen Barkok, who scored from a direct free kick in the 87th minute. Defender Marian Huja then sealed the result in stoppage time, in the 90th+4.
A 2-2 draw in the first leg
The context of this second leg weighed heavily on Raja. In the first leg, played on Sunday 18 October at the Remo Stars Stadium in Ikenne, Raja Club Athletic and El-Kanemi Warriors FC had drawn 2-2, leaving the tie wide open before the return leg.
That away draw left Raja in a position where the slightest slip-up at home could prove costly. With a 2-0 win in the return leg, the aggregate stands at 4-2: the Moroccan club scored twice in Ikenne and twice in Casablanca, against two for their opponents.
Barkok breaks the deadlock, Huja finishes it
The lock only came off three minutes from the end of normal time. Aymen Barkok, a former Morocco international and midfielder for Raja Club Athletic, converted a direct free kick in the 87th minute to open the scoring.
Defender Marian Huja then made the most of stoppage time to score the second goal in the 90th+4, sealing both the win on the night and qualification over the tie as a whole. Two goals from a midfielder and a defender, in the closing moments.
On to the draw
With this 4-2 aggregate win, Raja Club Athletic reach the group stage of the CAF Confederation Cup. The draw for this group stage, whose date was not specified by the source, will determine their next opponents.
For El-Kanemi Warriors FC, the adventure ends here, after being held in Ikenne and then losing 2-0 in Casablanca.