The Nedbank Cup triumph that secured Durban City FC a place in African football has opened the door to a new challenge for the Citizens. Now, after winning their first continental tie, City are one round away from the group stages of the CAF Confederation Cup, with Mauritian side AS Port Louis 2000 standing between them and the next stage of their campaign.
The Citizens return to Moses Mabhida Stadium on Sunday, 18 October, for the first leg of the Second Preliminary Round, carrying a 3–1 aggregate victory over Burundi’s Rukinzo FC into their latest continental assignment. A place in the group stages is the prize, but first City must navigate another two-legged contest, beginning in Durban before travelling to Mauritius on 25 October.
City’s route to this point began with their historic Nedbank Cup success, which earned the Club its first opportunity to compete in CAF InterClub football. The transition from domestic cup champions to continental competitors has already brought a different test, with Rukinzo providing the first measure of what awaited the Citizens beyond South Africa.
THE FIRST TEST: CITY MAKE THEIR MARK AGAINST RUKINZO
City began their continental campaign at Moses Mabhida Stadium on 6 September, opening their tie against Rukinzo with a 1–0 victory. Despite creating several opportunities, the Citizens had to wait until the 66th minute for the breakthrough, when a move involving Kyle Jurgens and Samkelo Maseko ended with Rukinzo midfielder Ally Magambo turning the ball into his own net.
It was a narrow advantage, leaving City with work to do in Burundi a week later. Rather than travel simply to protect their lead, the Citizens produced an assertive first-half performance in the return leg, with Jurgens scoring in the opening minute before Maseko added a second in the 37th minute.
Rukinzo pulled a goal back in the second half, adding pressure to the closing stages, but City held on to secure a 2–1 victory on the day and a 3–1 aggregate win. The result sent the Club through to the Second Preliminary Round in its first-ever continental campaign.
AS PORT LOUIS 2000: THE NEXT OBSTACLE
AS Port Louis 2000 booked their place in the Second Preliminary Round by eliminating Botswana’s Jwaneng Galaxy. After drawing 1–1 at home, the Mauritian side secured a 1–0 away win, with Kewell Leclerc scoring the decisive goal to complete a 2–1 aggregate victory.
The result marked Port Louis’ return to continental competition after nine years away from international football. The club entered the tournament as champions of the Mauritius Football Association Cup and will arrive in Durban seeking to carry that progress into the next round.
Their victory over Jwaneng Galaxy gives City a clear picture of the challenge ahead. Port Louis has already shown that they can find a result away from home, making the opening leg crucial as both sides look to establish an advantage before the return fixture.
For the Citizens, the task is to build on the experience gained against Rukinzo and produce another performance capable of putting them in a strong position for the trip to Mauritius.
CITY TARGET CAF CONFEDERATION CUP GROUP STAGES
Durban City FC are now two matches away from reaching the group stages of the CAF Confederation Cup, with the two-legged tie against AS Port Louis 2000 presenting the Club with an opportunity to extend its first continental campaign.
Having progressed past Rukinzo FC, the Citizens now turn their attention to the challenge posed by the Mauritian side. Head Coach Eric Tinkler believes the opportunity to reach the group stages gives the tie added importance, with City determined to continue their continental campaign.
“Being involved in CAF competitions is something every club aims for. For us, we now have an opportunity to get ourselves into the group stages, and both legs will be very important.
“We go into this tie with the mindset of wanting to qualify for the group stages. It is a crucial fixture because we want to remain in the CAF Confederation Cup, so we have to work extremely hard against AS Port Louis 2000 to give ourselves the best chance of getting through,” said Tinkler.
MATCH DETAILS
Fixture: Durban City FC vs AS Port Louis 2000
Competition: CAF Confederation Cup – Second Preliminary Round, First Leg
