Power lose Champions League opener

Zambian champions Power Dynamos have launched their CAF Champions League campaign with a 1-0 loss to Sudanese club Al Merrikh at the Amahoro Stadium on Saturday night. ‎ ‎Abubakar Bangora’s 37th minute penalty was the difference in the first leg tie of the first preliminary…

Zambian champions Power Dynamos have launched their CAF Champions League campaign with a 1-0 loss to Sudanese club Al Merrikh at the Amahoro Stadium on Saturday night.
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‎Abubakar Bangora’s 37th minute penalty was the difference in the first leg tie of the first preliminary round.
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‎The penalty was awarded to the home team after Power defender Dominic Chanda was adjudged to have made a foul in the box.
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‎Bangora stepped forward and beat Lawrence Mulenga in the Power goal to give Al Merrikh the lead.
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‎Power coach Oswald Mutapa said the tie will be decided in the return leg next week, and lamented his side’s slow start.
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‎“It is bad we have lost but I feel yes we didn’t start well. I think the first fifteen to twenty minutes we didn’t play our game,” Mutapa said.
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‎The coach also questioned the penalty decision.
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‎“The time we played our game we conceded through a penalty, which I don’t think was because I feel our player kicked the ball before he touched the opponent,”_ he said.
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‎Mutapa noted improvement in the second half.
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‎“Much better in the second half, I guess they were comfortable with a 1-0 score-line and trying to play on the counter attack. We tried to play but we didn’t create as many opportunities as we would have loved. At the end of the day, first half we are down 1-0 we have to play the second half at home,” he added.
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‎The return leg is set for Saturday, 12 September at the Levy Mwanawasa Stadium in Ndola.
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‎The winners on aggregate will advance to the Second Preliminary Round scheduled for 16-18 October and 23-25 October.
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‎The 16 winners from that round will progress to the group stage at the end of November.
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