Al-Merriekh vs Royal Army.

Sudanese football giants Al-Merreikh FC played out a lively 2-2 draw against Morocco’s Royal Army FC in their CAF African Champions League match at Juba National Stadium on Saturday.

The match in the preliminary round of the African Champions League, held in a pleasant autumn weather was officiated by Gabonese referee Pierre Ghisiain.

Al-Merreikh started aggressively with a 4-2-3-1 formation, spurred on by home support. Their offensive efforts paid off in the first half, with winger Al-Samani Al-Sawi netting the opening goal before the 30-minute mark.

Shortly afterwards, the Sudanese team won possession from the surging opponents in their own half before launching a fierce counter-attack, with Al-Merreikh’s Ivorian striker Mohamed Gbane finishing a cross to make it 2-0 in the 38th minute.

The Royal Army stayed determined and adjusted their tactics despite the scoreline, and in the second half, Al-Merreikh struggled to maintain possession, especially after forward Qabbani’s injury.

The Moroccan team, employing a 4-4-2 formation that transitioned into 4-3-3 during attacks, took advantage of Al-Merreikh woes, pressing hard and forcing their opponents to commit a fault inside the box, which Rabie Harimat converted in the 76th minute.

Royal Army’s persistence paid off again when Abdel Fattah Hadraf won a second penalty in the 88th minute. Although the initial attempt was saved, Hadraf quickly reacted to slot in the rebound, levelling the score at 2-2.

Both teams continued to push in the final moments, but the match ended in a draw after four minutes of stoppage time.

The second leg will take place in Morocco on September 22nd, where both teams will be aiming for a decisive result.

The coach of the Moroccan Royal Army team Czesiaw Michniwicz expressed his gratitude for their warm reception upon arrival at Juba International Airport by a group of South Sudanese students who studied in Morocco.

Michniwicz said their colorful welcome with South Sudanese dances and the nice weather helped relieve significant pressure  from the players ahead of the match.

On his part, the Italian coach of Al-Merreikh, Giovanni Solinas spoke about his disappointment with the result, citing a loss of focus by his players during the second half as a key factor.

He also pointed to the absence of several players who had joined their national teams for continental competitions, as well as injuries within the squad, which negatively impacted the team’s performance.

Despite these setbacks, he acknowledged that the upcoming match against the Moroccan Royal Army would be challenging but not impossible. Additionally,

Al-Merreikh of Sudan has selected Juba National Stadium as their home venue for African competition matches.