Reigning Sierra Leone Orange FA Cup champions East End Lions FC held Ivorian side AFAD Plateau to a 1-1 draw in the first leg of the CAF Confederation Cup First Preliminary Round at the Félix Houphouët-Boigny Stadium in Abidjan on Sunday.
The hosts took the lead in the 25th minute through left winger Sidiki Traoré, who put AFAD Plateau ahead before the break.
East End Lions responded strongly after the interval, with midfielder Saymah Kamara equalizing in the 57th minute with a well-placed low strike from outside the box to bring the visitors level.
The goal was particularly significant for Kamara, who was making his continental debut for East End Lions. The midfielder joined the club just a few weeks ago on loan from Northwest Region side Bullom Stars.
The first-leg encounter marked East End Lions’ second appearance in the CAF Confederation Cup. Their previous participation came in 2024, when they were eliminated by Senegalese side ASC Jaraaf at the same preliminary stage.
The 1-1 draw in Abidjan also represents East End Lions’ best-ever away result in CAF inter-club competitions. Their previous notable away performance came in the 2010 CAF Champions League preliminary round, when they suffered a narrow 3-2 defeat to North African giants Espérance de Tunis in the second leg.
AFAD Plateau was hoping to secure a first-leg advantage on home soil, but East End Lions produced a resilient performance to earn a valuable draw and take an important result into the second leg.
The return leg is scheduled for Saturday, September 12, at the SKD Stadium in Paynesville, Liberia, where East End Lions will be the designated home side.
Both teams will be seeking victory in the return encounter to secure a place in the Second Preliminary Round of the CAF Confederation Cup.