Durban City secure historic CAF debut win
by Kickoff writer · KickOffDurban City grabbed a 1-0 win over Rukinzo in the first-leg of the CAF Confederation Cup first preliminary round at the Moses Mabhida Stadium on Sunday afternoon.
The Team of Choice embarked on their first-ever continental campaign following their goalless draw in midweek against Stellenbosch FC in the Betway Premiership and welcomed their counterparts from Burundi in the first-leg of the preliminary stages.
It was an underwhelming opening for the visitors who needed to keep guard at the back and court a probing header to the near post by Siphesihle Msomi into touch with the assist from Gaston Sirino.
Former Kaizer Chiefs striker Tashreeq Morris probed the breakthrough around the half-hour mark with a potent header in the centre of the area from a delivery by Haashim Domingo, but he snapped his lines.
Rukinzo didn’t impose themselves on the home team but for a better portion of the encounter preferred to absorb the pressure by sitting on the edge of their six-yard box and looked to break on the counter-attack.
Second Half:
City made a double substitution ahead of the second half and saw Kyle Jurgens and Samkelo Maseko make their way onto the pitch with the visitors unchanged from the opening spell.
The boys from Burundi remained on the back-foot earlier on and conceded another chance when Morris once again went off the mark from the head following a ball by Bandile Shandu.
Sirino came to the fore inside the midway mark of the second half and broke the reluctance of the visitors as he made a yard of space in the area to force the visitors guiding a cutback from Maseko into their own net.
The Citizens continued to go for more goals with their tails up as Maseko once again came in out wide to produce a cross in the box for Morris, but the forward had his strike blocked.
Rukinzo’s showed a lot of energy in the final minutes and looked for the equaliser with a number of bodies in attack, but the Team of Choice didn’t break down and held out for the win.