El Kanemi Warriors and Raja Club Athletic shared the spoils in a 2-2 CAF Confederation Cup thriller on Sunday night, with Raja twice coming from behind to earn a valuable continental draw. The Moroccan giants were pushed hard by an energetic El Kanemi side, and the four-goal contest delivered the kind of drama expected from African club competition.

Match overview

El Kanemi started brightly, pressing high and feeding off the home crowd. Their early aggression was rewarded with the opening goal, but Raja’s quality on the ball soon began to show. The visitors equalised before half-time and looked more controlled after the break, only for El Kanemi to edge ahead again. Raja’s response was calm and clinical, and they found the equaliser with just over ten minutes remaining.

• Full-time: El Kanemi Warriors 2-2 Raja Club Athletic
• Competition: CAF Confederation Cup
• Key theme: Raja’s resilience against El Kanemi’s high-energy approach

Key moments

El Kanemi took the lead in the 12th minute when Sani Abubakar latched onto a through ball and finished confidently. Raja responded with a period of sustained possession and equalised in the 34th minute through Youssef Belammari, whose shot from the edge of the area found the bottom corner. The second half followed a similar pattern: El Kanemi’s Musa Ibrahim restored the home side’s advantage in the 61st minute, only for Anas El Asri to level again in the 79th.

Both teams had late chances to win it. El Kanemi’s best opportunity came from a corner in the final five minutes, while Raja broke quickly in stoppage time but could not find the decisive finish. The draw felt like a fair outcome after an open, end-to-end contest.

Tactical story

El Kanemi’s game plan was built on intensity. They pressed Raja’s ball-playing defenders, tried to force errors in midfield and attacked quickly through the channels. That approach worked well in spells, especially when Raja’s full-backs pushed forward. However, it also left space for Raja to exploit, and the visitors’ technical quality in central areas gradually told.

Raja’s experience was evident in their composure after conceding. Rather than panicking, they slowed the tempo, circulated the ball and waited for openings. Their equalisers came from patient build-up rather than direct play, and the substitutions made in the second half added fresh energy in the final third.

Standout performers

Sani Abubakar was El Kanemi’s most dangerous player, leading the line with purpose and taking his goal well. Musa Ibrahim’s energy in midfield gave the home side a platform to press. For Raja, Youssef Belammari and Anas El Asri were the key attacking threats, both showing the composure that has made the club a regular force in CAF competitions.

What the result means

The point keeps Raja Club Athletic in a solid position in their CAF Confederation Cup campaign, but it also highlights the challenges of away fixtures against motivated opposition. El Kanemi Warriors will take heart from competing toe-to-toe with one of Africa’s most recognizable clubs. The return fixture now carries extra intrigue, with both sides aware that small details could decide the group’s direction.