Renaissance Berkane 1-0 FAR Rabat: Hosts Edge Tight All-Moroccan Semi-final to Take CAF Champions League Advantage

Renaissance Berkane seized a slender but significant 1-0 lead over FAR Rabat in their CAF Champions League semi-final first leg, edging a tense all-Moroccan encounter defined by control in possession, disciplined defending and fine margins in both penalty areas.

• Renaissance Berkane will play with . , on .
• FAR Rabat will play with . , on .

Renaissance Berkane

• Anas Zniti (8.3)
• Ismaël Kandouss (7.6)
• Abdelhak Assal (7.9)
• Mohamed Ayman Sadil (6.9)
• Ettayb Boukhriss (7.3)
• Ayoub Khairi (6.9)
• Yassine Labhiri (7.9)
• Amine Azri (6.9)
• Mounir Chouiar (6.3)
• Youssef Mehri (5.2)
• Paul Valère Bassène (7.2)

FAR Rabat

Substitutions:

Renaissance Berkane

• Ayoub Khairi (Zinédine Machach, 76)
• Amine Azri (Imad Riahi, 76)
• Youssef Mehri (Y. El Kaabi, 90)
• Ettayb Boukhriss (Mohamed El Morabit, 90)

FAR Rabat

• Nolan Jean Pierre Mbemba Batina (Khalid Aït Ouarkhane, 59)
• A. Hammoudan (H. Khabba, 81)
• A. Hadraf (Yunis Abdelhamid, 88)

Ball possession:

The home side, roared on by a fervent crowd, dominated the ball with 64% possession and produced the sharper attacking moments, yet had to rely on their organisation without it to keep FAR at arm’s length in a cagey, tactical contest. FAR, who managed just 36% of the play but remained competitive throughout, will feel they are still very much alive in the tie ahead of the return leg in Rabat.

Passes:

### Berkane control tempo, but FAR stay in the game

Defense:

Berkane set the tone early, pushing their defensive line high and pinning FAR back through patient buildup. The hosts registered 10 shots on target, with four efforts troubling the goalkeeper, and repeatedly forced the visitors to defend deep.

Face-to-face:

Yassine Labhiri was the most active attacking outlet in terms of the number of attempts, continually testing the FAR back line and finding half-spaces between midfield and defence. His movement and willingness to shoot underpinned Berkane’s dominance in the final third, while his three key passes marked him out as a creative hub in advanced areas.

Fouls:

Yellow cards:

• Anas Bach (FAR Rabat) at 56 minute
• R. Slim (FAR Rabat) at 90 minute

Penalties in a match:

• Yassine Labhiri (Renaissance Berkane) at 57 minute

The last five games (including this match):

• Renaissance Berkane – W
• FAR Rabat – L

Top 5 CAF Champions League scorers:

1. Ahmed Atef El Sayed (4, Pyramids FC)
2. Mahmoud Ahmed Ibrahim Hassan (3, Al Ahly)
3. Brayan León Muñiz (2, Mamelodi Sundowns)
4. Abdelrazig Yagoub Omer Taha (2, Al Hilal Omdurman)
5. Aboubacar Diakite (2, ES Tunis)

Line-ups:

Next games:

• Renaissance Berkane will play with . , on .
• FAR Rabat will play with . , on .