Medeama, Dreams FC qualify to CAF Club Championship ‘money zone’
Defending Ghana Premier League champions Medeama SC and FA Cup winners Dreams FC have both secured qualifications to the group stages of their respective CAF inter club competitions with aggregate victories over their opponents over the weekend.
Medeama SC qualified for the CAF Champions League last 16 with a 4-3 aggregate victory over Guinean champions Horoya AC while Dreams FC saw off FC Kallon of Sierra Leone 3-2 on aggregate.
Having won the 1st leg 3-1 in Cape Coast a fortnight ago, Medeama SC managed a 2-1 loss last Saturday at the General Lansana Conté Stadium in Conakry to go through.
Striker Jonathan Sowah put the Tarkwa-based club in the lead with a 24th minute spot kick which was cancelled two minutes later by skipper Mandela Ocansey.
Horoya put the game beyond the reach of the Ghanaians with a 78th minute strike from Mohammed Keita.
The host push for more goals but the ‘Yellow and Mauve’ held onto their guard to seal qualification to their first ever group stage appearance, emulating the feat of Berekum Chelsea during the 2012/2013 edition.
Medeama’s journey began with a 1-0 win home win over Nigerian side Remo Stars at the Cape Coast Stadium and lost by same score line in the reverse fixture in Ikenne.
They however qualified on a 3-2 penalty shootouts victory.
By this feat, Medeama SC will earn $700,000 for making it to the group stage of the competition.
On the other hand, Dreams FC held FC Kallon to a 1-1 drawn game to pick a slot among the 16 finallists in the CAF Confederations Cup competition.
The Still Believe boys went into the reverse fixture last Saturday on the back of a 2-1 first leg victory, needing at least a draw to seal through.
Agyenim Boateng Mensah gave Dreams FC an early advantage as he converted from the spot in the 4th minute after Gael Aholou Avocevou was brought down in the box.
The lead lasted until 90+7 minutes when Ofori McCarthy was adjudged to have brought down an attacker in the box for a penalty which was converted by Mahmoud Fofanah for the Cavaliers.
Dreams FC who eliminated Milo FC de Kankan of Guinea in the first round on a 3-2 aggregate will thus earn $400,000 for reaching the group stage of Africa’s second-tier club football competition.
BY RAYMOND ACKUMEY
