AC Leopards of Congo-Brazzaville made history on Sunday with victory in the final of the African Confederation Cup.
The Congolese club AC Leopards won his first African Confederation Cup (CAF) football with a 2-1 win against the Malians Djoliba AC during the second leg on Sunday Dolisie (west).
The Congolese, having managed a 2-2 draw in Bamako last weekend, triumphed 2-1 in the second leg in front of a sell-out home crowd, and all three goals came in the first half.
Cesaire Gandze edged Leopards ahead in the tie with the opener on 23 minutes.
Salif Coulibaly, who netted in the first leg, hit an equaliser, before Rudy Guelord Bhebey-Ndey grabbed his fifth of the competition on the stroke of half-time.
CARA won the 1974 African Champions Cup, the predecessor of the Caf Champions League, with a win over Egypt’s Al Mehalla.
Although founded in 1954, Leopards only qualified for their first continental club competition in 2010.
Djoliba, on the other hand, are seasoned campaigners. They reached the semi-finals of the Champions Cup in 1967, as well as the last four of the now defunct African Cup Winners Cup in 1981 and 1982.
Leopards played in every round of this year’s Confederation Cup and went into the second leg boasting an impressive home record of six wins, a draw, a loss and a 14-5 goal tally.
Leopards collect US$660,000 in prize money and with this award, the Leopards have the right to challenge Egypt’s Al Ahly, winners of the Champions League CAF, on the occasion of the Supercup.
Confederation Cup Winners
- 2012 – AC Leopards (Congo-Brazzaville)
- 2011 – MAS (Morocco)
- 2010 – FUS Rabat (Morocco)
- 2009 – Stade Malien (Mali)
- 2008 – CS Sfaxien (Tunisia)
- 2007 – CS Sfaxien (Tunisia)
- 2006 – Etoile du Sahel (Tunisia)
- 2005 – FAR Rabat (Morocco)
- 2004 – Hearts of Oak (Ghana)