Ghana Premier League champions Samartex played out a 2-2 draw against Raja Casablanca in the first leg of their CAF Champions League second preliminary round match on Sunday, September 15, 2024, at the Accra Sports Stadium.
The Timber Giants initially fell behind early but rallied to take a 2-1 lead before the Moroccan side equalized later in the game.
Raja Casablanca opened the scoring in the 20th minute through Mohamed Zrida. However, Samartex responded with goals from Francis Gyetuah and Michael Ephson in the 37th and 44th minutes, respectively. Mohamed Boulacsou then leveled the score for Raja in the 63rd minute, ensuring the match ended in a draw.
The second leg is scheduled for September 21, 2024, at the Stade Mohamed V in Casablanca, Morocco.
After the match, Raja Casablanca’s head coach, Rusmir Cvirko, expressed frustration over the poor state of the pitch, arguing that his team could have easily won under better conditions. “I am not happy. I am happy we didn’t lose the game, but normally, we must win this game. But on this field, how we play, it’s impossible to play,” Cvirko said.