Nations FC began their CAF Confederation Cup campaign with a narrow 1-0 defeat to Malian side FC Diarra in the first leg of the preliminary round in Mali.
The Ghanaian FA Cup holders, making their debut in the competition, battled hard away from home but were unable to find the breakthrough as FC Diarra secured a slender advantage ahead of the return fixture. CAF confirmed that the opening round consists of two legged ties, with the return matches scheduled for September 11 to 13.
Nations FC had one of their clearest opportunities through Ouedraogo Fatahou, who found himself one on one with the FC Diarra goalkeeper. However, the forward was unable to keep his composure and convert the promising chance, leaving Nations FC frustrated in their search for an equaliser.
Despite the setback, the 1-0 scoreline leaves the tie finely balanced, with Nations FC needing only to overturn the one goal deficit in the second leg to keep their continental campaign alive.
The return leg will be played in Ghana on Sunday, September 13, giving Nations FC home advantage and another opportunity to secure progression to the second preliminary round.
Should they overcome FC Diarra, Nations FC will face either AS ZAM of Niger or ASKO de Kara of Togo in the next round.
For now, the Ghanaian side will take encouragement from the narrow margin of defeat as they turn their attention to the decisive second leg on home soil.
