Today’s top three Confederation Cup games to follow

by Staff Reporter

Saturday Dec 22, 2018. 15:00

We pick the top three CAF CC matches being played on Saturday.

The 2018/19 CAF Confederation Cup is in full swing this weekend and we pick the top three matches to follow on Saturday, 22 December 2018.

Asante Kotoko (Ghana) v Kariobangi Sharks (Kenya)

Venue: Baba Yara Stadium, Kumasi

Kick-off: 17h30 CAT

Referee: Mashood Ssali (Uganda)

Ghana’s Asante Kotoko are making a real fist of their participation in the Confederation Cup (with their showing coming in spite the turmoil in the country’s domestic game) and they will hope home advantage at the Baba Yara Stadium in Kumasi tips the tie against Kenya’s Kariobangi Sharks in their favour. This one is precariously balanced after the first leg in Nairobi last weekend ended 0-0.

San Pedro (Ivory Coast) v DC Motema Pembe (DR Congo)

Venue: Stade Felix Houphouet-Boigny, Abidjan

Kick-off: 18h00 CAT

Referee: Nabil Boukhalfa (Algeria)

This is another very evenly-balanced tie, with the first leg at Stade Des Martyrs in Kinshasa ending 1-1 between DC Motema Pembe and San Pedro – thanks to respective strikes from Junior Kone and Djeni Rufin Gnanzou. The latter’s away goal means the Ivorian team need only keep a clean sheet to ensure advancement, but their DRC visitors are sure to be angling for a way to cancel out that technical deficit.

Salitas (Burkina Faso) v Al Masry (Egypt)

Venue: Stade du 4 Aout, Ouagadougou

Kick-off: 18h00 CAT

Referee: Quadri Ololade Adebimpi (Nigeria)

Burkina Faso’s Salitas are well placed to advance into the playoff round, holding a 2-0 lead over Egypt’s Al Masry after the first round in Port Said last weekend. Goals from Cedric Badolo and Ismael Karambiri see the West Africans in charge of the tie heading into the return game in Ouagadougou, but the North Africans are tactical masters and playing on the break against the hosts may well suit them and boost hopes of a comeback.