CAIRO, Egypt — Egyptian side ZED FC and Tanzanian outfit Azam FC played out a 1-1 draw in the first leg of their CAF Confederation Cup second preliminary round tie on Friday, leaving the contest wide open ahead of the return fixture.
The home side took the lead in first-half stoppage time when they broke the deadlock in the 45+1st minute. Azam, however, responded strongly after the interval and levelled the scores in the 58th minute to secure a valuable away goal and a share of the spoils.
The result means the two-legged encounter remains finely balanced, with everything still to play for when the teams meet again in Tanzania on 24 October. The winner on aggregate will book a place in the group stage of Africa’s second-tier club competition.
ZED FC, making their debut in continental competition after finishing as runners-up in last season’s Egypt Cup, had entered the tie as favourites on home soil. They had advanced from the first preliminary round with a convincing 5-1 aggregate victory over Djibouti’s ASAS Djibouti Télécom. Despite controlling large periods of the match and enjoying the majority of possession, they were unable to convert their dominance into a winning margin.
Azam FC, coached by Congolese tactician Florent Ibengé, arrived in Cairo having received a bye into the second preliminary round. The Ice Cream Makers showed resilience and organisation, particularly in the second half, to fight back from a goal down and claim a result that gives them a strong platform for the return leg in Dar es Salaam.
Both sides created chances throughout an evenly contested encounter. ZED FC managed more attempts on goal, but Azam’s clinical response early in the second period proved decisive in keeping the tie alive. Defensive discipline and set-piece organisation will now be critical when the teams reconvene next week.
The second leg is scheduled for Friday 24 October in Tanzania. With the aggregate score locked at 1-1, a single goal could prove enough to settle the contest, while the away-goals rule remains a potential factor should the scores finish level again after 90 or 120 minutes.
For ZED FC, the draw represents a missed opportunity to take a clear advantage into the return fixture. For Azam FC, it is a hard-earned result that keeps their ambitions of reaching the CAF Confederation Cup group stage firmly on track.