Africa-Press – Botswana. Orapa United is out of contention for the quarterfinals of the CAF Confederation Cup after suffering a disheartening 2-1 defeat at the hands of USM Alger in a Group C encounter played at Obed Itani Chilume Stadium in Francistown.
The win has guaranteed USM Alger qualification into the quarterfinals as Group C winners. The Ostriches’ loss, their second to the Algerian giants, following a brutal 6-0 drubbing in their opening group stage match, has left them rooted to the bottom of the table with a mere two points.
Despite two draws in their five matches, Orapa has struggled to find the back of the net, their attacking impotence a stark contrast to the clinical finishing of their opponents.
With ASEC Mimosas, five points, and ASC Jaraaf, eight points, locked in a battle for the second place, Orapa United, with only two points, is out of contention for the quarterfinals.
The Algerian powerhouse, USMA, nicknamed Les Usmistes is now boasting a commanding 11 points at the summit of the log in Group C. They have proved too strong for their opponents.cThis latest win further underscored USMA’s title aspirations.
While Orapa United fought valiantly, their two draws and three defeats highlight the significant gap in quality between the two teams. For Orapa United, the challenge remains to find consistency and turn the tables around.
During the game, the Ostriches, having previously drawn twice, showed glimpses of potential but ultimately fell short against the Algerian giants. Their inability to convert chances, coupled with USMA’s clinical finishing proved decisive.
Just 12 minutes into the first half, Sekou Gassama Cissokho scored a brilliant header after receiving a great pass into the box from Brahim Benzaza. In the 59th minute, Houssam Ghacha scored the second goal, releasing a thunderbolt that saw Orapa United goalkeeper Lesego Malapela beaten.
At some point, Orapa United’s Kamara Ballie squandered a gilt-edged chance in the second half, missing a clear-cut opportunity inside the box before Kamogelo Moloi’s eventual goal a few minutes before the final whistle. This was Orapa United’s only real scoring chance of the match.
Alger head coach, Nabil Mmalououh, said it was a good thing for his team to have advanced while at 11 points.
Orapa United coach, Gadimang Tiiso, accepted the results and said the game was a learning curve more so that his team is new to this tournament. He said it was a very interesting game but his boys managed to contain the visitors in the defence wall, otherwise they could have conceded many goals. Tiiso said the intensity of this tournament is very high given that Alger is a powerhouse in the competition.
The loss leaves Orapa United’s hopes for survival hanging by a thread, demanding immediate improvement in their attacking play and defensive solidity to gather enough points to advance.
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