Bibiani GoldStars began their first CAF Champions League campaign with a tough loss. The Ghanaian champions were beaten 2-0 at home by Algerian side JS Kabylie at the Accra Sports Stadium on Saturday.
The game started with early pressure from the visitors, who showed their attacking strength. Aymen Mahious found the net in the eighth minute, but his goal was quickly ruled out for offside.
Despite that setback, Kabylie continued to push forward and dominate the opening exchanges. Their efforts paid off in the 21st minute when Medhi Merghem scored to give the Algerians a deserved lead.
The home fans tried to lift GoldStars after the first goal, but the team struggled to respond immediately. Kabylie’s defense was organized and made it difficult for the Ghanaian champions to create chances.
After the break, GoldStars came out with more determination and energy. They managed to carve out several openings and pushed Kabylie back into their own half at times.
However, the Ghanaian side lacked composure and sharpness in front of goal. Each time they got close, poor finishing and hurried decisions stopped them from scoring an equalizer.
Kabylie took advantage of those missed chances to extend their lead. In the 70th minute, Babacar Sarr reacted quickly from a corner to score the second goal for the Algerians.
That goal was a big blow for GoldStars, who had been fighting hard to get back into the game. The home side could not recover and the visitors controlled the closing stages with confidence.
The 2-0 defeat means GoldStars have a huge challenge ahead in the second leg. They will travel to Algiers next week needing a strong and brave performance to overturn the two-goal deficit.
Coach Frimpong Manso and his players will have to work on their finishing if they want to keep their dream alive. They will also need to stay solid at the back to avoid conceding more goals away from home.
The fans of GoldStars are still proud of their team for reaching this level for the first time. However, they know the second leg will test the team’s quality and fighting spirit on a difficult away ground.
The winner of this tie will advance to face either East End Lions of Sierra Leone or Tunisia’s US Monastir in the second preliminary round. GoldStars now have one more chance to prove themselves on the continental stage.
Source : Adomonline.com