Caf Confederation Cup: Pyramids join Raja Casablanca in quarter-finals with Namungo FC win

Tanzania’s Caf Confederation Cup ambassadors Namungo FC were defeated 1-0 by Pyramids FC during their last Group C game on Thursday.

Namungo, who worked hard to reach the group stage despite being debutants in the competition, ended without a win in a pool where Nkana and Raja Casablanca were also members. Ibrahim Adel scored the only goal that guaranteed the Egyptian side the win against the East African opponents.

Namungo coach Hemed Morocco made a change in the 46th minute when he replaced Sixtus Sabilo with Ibrahim Ali. Ahmed Tawfiq and Eric Traore replaced one another in Pyramids' first change in the 47th minute.

Another quick change for Namungo came in the 48th minute when former Simba SC forward Shiza Kichuya came on for Hamisi Swalehe. A change at the hour mark proved vital for Pyramids as the eventual goalscorer came on for Mahmoud Saber.

Ahmed Samy and Ahmed Fathi changed places in the Pyramids team as they consolidated their efforts to break the deadlock. Reliants Lusajo was introduced for Eric Kiwzera three minutes after the hour mark before Stephen Sey came on for Adam Salamba.

While Namungo had managed to come out of the first half unscathed, they conceded in the 65th minute to hand Pyramids a third win in the group. Ibrahim scored with an assist from Ibrahim Hassan to condemn the Tanzanian outfit to a sixth consecutive group loss.

Diego Rolan and John Antwi were introduced by Pyramids in the 75th minute for Ibrahim and Mohamed Gobas respectively. Lucas Kikoti was yellow-carded in the 83rd minute for a foul before Antwi was cautioned too for a dangerous tackle.

With the win, Pyramids joined Raja Casablanca in the quarter-finals. The Moroccan side ended the group stage without dropping a single point while Pyramids had two losses. Nkana managed two wins – both against Namungo – but the points were not enough to claim a position in the knockout phase.

Namungo will have a lot to ponder about when they retreat to the drawing board having conceded nine goals and failed to score at all. Other teams in the quarter-finals are Enyimba FC, JS Kabyle, ASC Jaraaf, Raja Club Athletic while Orlando Pirates, Cotonspot, CS Sfaxien and Pyramids booked their places as runners-up.

The quarter-finals draw will take place on April 30 in Cairo.