CAF Confederation Cup: AFAD Djékanou hold Génération Foot to first-leg draw

Génération Foot were forced to settle for a 1-1 draw against AFAD Djékanou in the first leg of their CAF Confederation Cup preliminary round tie on Sunday.

The Senegalese side, winners of last season’s Senegal Cup, made a dream start in front of their supporters when pressure from their attack forced Mamadou Bance into putting the ball into his own net after just three minutes.

The early breakthrough looked set to give the Grenats the upper hand in a crucial tie.

However, the visitors from Ivory Coast remained composed and gradually grew into the contest.

Their resilience was rewarded moments before half-time when Amani Michel struck to bring the score level at 1-1, silencing the home crowd and shifting the momentum of the match.

Despite a lively second half in which both teams created opportunities, neither was able to find a decisive goal.

Génération Foot pushed forward in search of a winner but lacked precision in the final third, while AFAD Djékanou’s counter-attacks tested the Senegalese defence.

The stalemate leaves the tie finely poised ahead of the return fixture.

The draw will be a source of frustration for Génération Foot, who had hoped to build a stronger advantage before travelling to Abidjan.

The second leg will be played next week at the Alassane Ouattara Stadium in Ebimpé, where AFAD Djékanou will count on home support to push them through.

For the Grenats, the mission is clear: they must score away from home if they are to advance further in the competition. With the aggregate score delicately balanced, both sides know that a single moment of brilliance or mistake could prove decisive in determining who reaches the next round of the CAF Confederation Cup.

The encounter underlined the competitiveness of the tournament’s early stages, with both Génération Foot and AFAD Djékanou showing determination and discipline.

The return leg in Ivory Coast promises to be a tense battle with everything still to play for.