Bernard Morrison scored in added time to give Young Africans of Tanzania a 2-0 victory over Marumo Gallants of South Africa on Wednesday in a CAF Confederation Cup semifinal first leg.
A breakaway left the visiting side outnumbered and Ghanaian Morrison pushed the ball into the net from a tight angle to double the lead after Stephane Aziz Ki had broken the deadlock.
Malta-born Marumo technical advisor Dylan Kerr slammed the naivety of his team after a match watched by a 40 000-plus crowd at the Benjamin Mpaka Stadium in Dar es Salaam.
"The way we conceded the second goal was football suicide," said Kerr.
"You do not leave one player at the back and send everybody up in the final minutes of a first leg."
???????? ??????????| #CAFCC
— Young Africans SC (@yangasc1935) May 10, 2023
Young Africans SC 2-0 Marumo Gallants#TimuYaWananchi #DaimaMbeleNyumaMwiko pic.twitter.com/6A1ZCj7Puh
Morrison was among five substitutes introduced by Tunisian coach Nasreddine Nabi and his goal has tilted the balance in favour of a Tanzanian outfit popularly known as Yanga.
Both teams missed chances in a cagey, goalless first half, during which Katlego Otladiso was correctly judged offside after putting the ball in the Young Africans net.
Ranga Chivaviro, the joint leading scorer this season with six goals in the African equivalent of the Europa League, wasted several early second half chances to put Marumo ahead.
Once Ki, a Burkina Faso international born in the Ivory Coast, struck on 64 minutes the home team took control as the visitors faded.
PRESSURE REWARDED
Ki hammered a low cross from Tuisila Kisinda into the corner of the net past 37-year-old former Zimbabwe goalkeeper Washington Arubi.
Young Africans move one step closer to the #TotalEnergiesCAFCC final as they win the first leg 2-0.
— SuperSport Football ?? (@SSFootball) May 10, 2023
Marumo Gallants have it all to do in the second-leg next Wednesday. pic.twitter.com/tcw019amtt
Star Young Africans forward Fiston Mayele, one of several Democratic Republic of Congo players wearing Yanga colours, was foiled by the woodwork with six minutes of regular time remaining.
But the constant pressure was rewarded when composed Morrison netted and Marumo face an uphill struggle in the second leg on 17 May.
No Tanzanian side has reached the final of a competition dominated by north African clubs with Moroccan, Tunisian and Egyptian sides winning 14 of 19 finals.
USM Alger of Algeria are the lone representatives from the north in the semifinals this season, and look set to progress after drawing 0-0 with ASEC Mimosas in the Ivory Coast.
Fin du match. L'ASEC Mimosas et L'USMA se neutralisent. #CAFCC #Mimos #JauneNoir pic.twitter.com/21199ZiEIy
— ASEC Mimosas (@ASECMimosas) May 10, 2023
Former African champions ASEC thought they had taken the lead on 28 minutes through Sankara Karamoko, but his goal was disallowed after a VAR review showed him marginally offside.
USM were under the cosh for most of the second half in Bouake and goalkeeper Oussama Benbot made several brilliant saves, with the most notable from a Franck Zouzou thunderbolt.
Both second legs are scheduled for next Wednesday. Young Africans or Marumo then host the first leg of the final on 28 May with the return match six days later.