Army side APR FC were left to rue missed chances after Nasser Mansi scored in the closing moments to give Egypt’s Zamalek a 1-0 victory in the first leg of their CAF Champions League second preliminary round tie at Amahoro Stadium in Kigali on Friday.
The Rwandan champions had threatened to make home advantage count, creating several opportunities against a Zamalek side that struggled to find a way through their defence for much of the match.
APR FC pressed forward in the first half and won several corners but could not turn their pressure into a goal. Zamalek, meanwhile, remained organized at the back as the teams went into the break level.
The home side continued to push after half-time, with defender Ishimwe Christian delivering two dangerous balls for Quattara. His header from one delivery went narrowly wide, while another opportunity ended with William Togui shooting over the crossbar after being put through on goal.
Zamalek thought they had broken the deadlock two minutes before Mansi’s goal, only for the effort to be ruled out for offside.
The Egyptian side kept pressing, and Mansi, introduced as a substitute, settled the contest in the 90th minute, finishing after a pass from Esho to give Zamalek a narrow advantage ahead of the return leg.
The result leaves APR FC needing to overturn the deficit when the teams meet again in Cairo on Saturday, October 24, with a place in the CAF Champions’ League group stage at stake.
