Raja Casablanca eliminate El-Kanemi Warriors to reach CAF Confederation Cup group stage

Raja Casablanca scored twice in the closing minutes to defeat Nigeria’s El-Kanemi Warriors 2-0 and secure qualification for the CAF Confederation Cup group stage.

The Moroccan side sealed their progress on Friday at the Mohammed V Stadium in Casablanca, winning the second preliminary round tie after a 2-2 draw in the first leg in Nigeria.

Raja dominated much of the encounter but struggled to convert their chances before Ayoub Barkok broke the deadlock with a direct free kick in the 89th minute.

Defender Marian Hujah then added a late header to confirm the victory and send the Casablanca club through to the group stage.

Raja waste chances in first half

Raja started on the front foot, with Mohamed Boulacsout providing an attacking threat down the right flank. Goalkeeper Yassine Zoubair was also handed a starting place in place of Mehdi Harrar.

Mohamed Mekkaoui came close to opening the scoring in the 16th minute, but his powerful effort went narrowly wide of the Nigerian side’s right post.

Mathias Oyewusi missed another promising opportunity in the 26th minute before striking the post six minutes later with a powerful attempt.

Mekkaoui had another chance in the 42nd minute, but Raja were unable to find a breakthrough before half-time despite their attacking pressure.

Barkok and Hujah strike late

The second half followed a similar pattern, with Raja continuing to push forward while struggling to find a way past El-Kanemi Warriors’ defence.

Head coach Paco Jémez made two changes in the 68th minute, bringing on Bilal Ould Cheikh and Yahya Ighez for Oyewusi and Younes Dahmani in an attempt to improve the hosts’ attacking threat.

Three minutes later, Raja players appealed for a penalty after claiming a Nigerian defender had handled the ball inside the area. The referee dismissed their protests and allowed play to continue.

With the match approaching its conclusion, Barkok finally broke El-Kanemi Warriors’ resistance in the 89th minute, converting a direct free kick to give Raja a crucial lead.

Hujah then sealed the 2-0 win with a late header, ending the hosts’ wait for a decisive breakthrough and confirming their place in the next stage.

Raja turn attention to group stage

The victory allows Raja to continue their pursuit of continental honours after a challenging return leg against the Nigerian side.

Having struggled to make their dominance count for much of the match, the Casablanca club ultimately found the goals they needed in the closing stages to secure qualification.

Raja will now turn their attention to the CAF Confederation Cup group stage as they look to continue their continental campaign.