Ghanaian champions FC Samartex 1996 were held to a 2-2 draw by Moroccan powerhouse Raja Club Athletic in the first leg of their CAF Champions League second preliminary round clash on Sunday, hosted at Accra Sports Stadium.
Though Samartex gained the upper hand before halftime, they couldn’t hold onto their lead.
The match began with an early test for Samartex, as goalkeeper Kofi Baah made a vital save in the third minute, denying Adam Ennaffati’s attempt from the edge of the area.
Despite the promising start, the visitors struck first in the 20th minute, with Mohamed Azrida nodding home from a corner to put Raja ahead.
Samartex responded tenaciously, equalizing in the 37th minute when Francis Gyetuah acrobatically fired the ball into the net.
Continuing to build momentum, Samartex went ahead just before the break. Striker Michael Ephson pounced on a rebound after left-back Isaac Afful’s long-range shot was parried by Raja’s goalkeeper Anas Zniti, leaving Ephson with an easy finish.
However, Raja came back quickly in the second half, levelling the score at 2-2 thanks to Mohamed Boulacsout, who capped off a well-executed team play.
With the match ending in a draw, both teams will head into the second leg at Stade Larbi Zaouli in Casablanca with everything to play for next week.
