Etoile hold Sfaxien in African Confederation Cup final

AFP - 8 November 2008 20:00

Tunisian Etoile du Sahel striker Emika Opara (R) is tackled by Tunisian CS Sfax team captain Issam Merdassi (L) in a final of the African Cup Confederation first round match in Sfax olympic stadium. Etoile Sahel are favoured to lift the African Confederation Cup after forcing a 0-0 draw at title holders CS Sfaxien Saturday in the first leg of an all-Tunisian final.

SFAX, Tunisia (AFP) - Etoile Sahel are favoured to lift the African Confederation Cup after forcing a 0-0 draw at title holders CS Sfaxien Saturday in the first leg of an all-Tunisian final.

The visitors had the best chance to break the deadlock during the first half when Nigeria-born striker Emeka Opara broke clear only to be denied by goalkeeper Jassem Khaloufi.

Sfaxien managed to create several clearcut scoring chances during the second half, but an Etoile team playing only their second match under caretaker French coach Herve Gauthier survived.

The club meet again on November 22 in the Mediterranean resort of Sousse with the winners becoming the first club to win twice the African equivalent of the European UEFA Cup.

Etoile, the only side to win every African club competition, lifted the Confederation Cup in 2006 and other former winners include Hearts of Oak of Ghana and Moroccan military outfit FAR Rabat.