CAF Confederation Cup: Antwi's Pyramids bow to Berkane in final

It was a disappointing day for Ghana striker John Antwi and his Egyptian club Pyramids as they succumbed to a 1-0 loss to Moroccan outfit RS Berkane in the 2020 Caf Confederation Cup final on Sunday.

Issoufou Dayo's first-half effort in the single-legged fixture at the Prince Moulay Abdullah Stadium in Morocco was enough to hand The Orange Boys their first title in the competition.

Their final was originally scheduled for May this year but had to be rescheduled to October due to the coronavirus pandemic.

It was the redemption of sorts for Berkane, who lost in the final of the 2019 Confed Cup to Egyptian giants Zamalek. Their win also highlights Morocco's dominance in the competition, the 2020 success becoming the fifth title won by a club from the north African country. No country has produced more winners than Morocco and Tunisia (also five).

For Pyramids, however, making the Confederation Cup final just six years after becoming an elite division club and two years after taking on their current identity from being formerly named Al Assiouty Sport will certainly remain a mark of pride despite Sunday's defeat.

Berkane came into the final on the back of a 2-1 triumph over national rivals Hassania Agadir, while Pyramids accounted for Guinean side Horoya 2-0 in the semi-final to snatch a historic first-ever final berth.

In the end, Burkina Faso defender Dayo emerged the hero of the match as his scrappy 15th-minute goal decided the fixture.

Although there would be no more goals, there was certainly drama towards the end of the tie as Berkane's Baker El Helali was sent off for a rough tackle after a video assistant review.

Ghana international Antwi was a second-half substitute in the game, coming on in the 66th minute for Ahmed Tawfik.

It was a big disappointment for the Ghanaian, who was hoping to build on his recent exploits of becoming the all-time foreign top scorer in the history of the Egyptian top league and earning a Ghana recall for the first time since 2017.