Ghana’s representation in the African inter-club competitions has been extinguished, following the disappointing exit of Samartex and Nsoatreman FC from their tournaments on Saturday.
Ghana’s Samartex crashed out of the CAF Champions League after suffering a 2-0 defeat to Morocco’s Raja Casablanca, who progressed to the group stage with a 4-2 aggregate victory.
Samartex’s promising start in the CAF Champions League came to an end in Morocco, despite a strong showing in the first leg.
Marouane Zila’s first-half goal gave Raja Casablanca the lead, and Samartex’s determined efforts under Coach Nurudeen Amadu were unable to yield an equalizer.
Naoufel Zerhouni’s late strike in the 88th minute sealed the 2-0 victory for Raja, eliminating Samartex from the competition.
“this experience, though disappointing, offers numerous lessons that we can use to improve and strengthen our performance in the future.” The club wrote on their social media platform.
Ghana’s FA Cup holders, Nsoatreman FC, also crashed out of the CAF Confederation Cup after suffering a 1-0 defeat to CS Constantine in Algeria, sealing a 3-0 aggregate loss.
Nsoatreman FC’s inability to convert chances haunted them again, as Zakaria Benchaa’s 19th-minute goal gave Constantine an insurmountable lead, ending the Ghanaians’ CAF Confederation Cup journey.
Samartex and Nsoatreman will shift gears to domestic competitions, seeking redemption. Samartex faces Bibiani Gold Stars and Medeama SC in the Premier League, while Nsoatreman targets FA Cup defense or a top Premier League finish to earn another continental shot.