Liberty Professionals continued their impresive run in their first journey in Africa club football by losing narrowly to Sudanese side Al Hilal in the 1st leg of the two-leg qualifier to the league stage of the maiden Confederation Cup.
The Ghanaian side held their own against a very severe weather of 39degrees in the Khartom sun before given in to an injury time goal fired in by inside left, Khalid Azziz in the third munite of injury time.
Azziz was the quickest to react after goal keeper Kotei Blankson punched out a curling shot from Al Hilal's Brazillian import Rubero after a sustain injury time pressure.
Liberty had earlier been reduced to 10 men in the 78 munite when substitute, Eric Bekoe was shown a second yellow card for kicking the ball out of play after the referee had whistled for a foul against him.
The best chances on the day, however, fell to Liberty but targetman Michael Kafui Helegbe could not find the net.
The Sudanese who had the better of the exchanges met thier match in Kotei Blankson, whose excellent display of goaltendering on the day saved many dangerous sitiations for the Dansoman club.
While Brazillian import Rubero was easily the dangerman and man-of-the-match for Al Hilal on the day, Liberty had all their players being equal to the task.
Meanwhile Liberty Proffessional are expected in Accra via Narobi by 14:30 GMT to start immediate preparations for the crucial 2nd leg encounter.
Liberty Line-Up Kotei Blankson Stanley Afedzie Samuel Hanson Issifu Ansah(capt) Prince Ofori David Addo James Disirammah Jonathan Quartey Felix Baffoe Emmanuel Frimpong Michael Helegbe
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