Johannesburg (AFP) – Defender Issoufou Dayo scored his first goal since September last year in the 2019/2020 CAF Confederation Cup to give Renaissance Berkane of Morocco a 1-0 win over Pyramids of Egypt in Sunday’s final.
His only previous effort came at home to Ashanti Gold of Ghana in a round-of-32 second leg and the final was delayed five months because of the coronavirus pandemic.
Beaten in the final of the secondary African club competition last season by Zamalek of Egypt, Berkane made no mistake at the second attempt and should have won more convincingly in Rabat.
The Moroccans created far more scoring chances than the Egyptians before surviving a tense finish when reduced to 10 men on 89 minutes after Bakr el Helali was red-carded.
Burkina Faso international Dayo — the only non-Moroccan in the starting line-up — struck after 15 minutes at the Stade Moulay Abdallah in a match staged behind close doors because of Covid-19.
A goalmouth scramble after a free-kick ended with the centre-back being credited with the early goal that proved the match-winner.
Berkane are the fifth Moroccan club after FAR Rabat, FUS Rabat, Moghreb Fes and Raja Casablanca to win the African equivalent of the UEFA Europa League.
North African clubs have dominated the 17 editions of the Confederation Cup with Tunisian clubs also lifting the trophy five times, and Egyptian giants Al Ahly and Zamalek once each.
Berkane will defend the trophy next season while Pyramids go into the CAF Champions League or Confederation Cup depending on whether they finish second or third in the Egyptian Premier League.
