GPA BLOWS HOME ADVANTAGE

By John Mendy Gambia’s League champions Ports Authority began their first leg of the CAF Champions League 2nd round campaign on a wrong footing after being held to a 1-1 draw by AS Vita club of DR Congo played last night. After a stainless first half, winger Alagie Sarr (not to be confused with his coach) put the host in front from the box just two minutes following the restart but with 19 minutes remaining, AS Vita pegged them back to restore parity through defender Francisco Ondo Obama’s 71st minute strike just inside the eighteen yard box. The Gambian champions were nowhere near their best and struggled to assert t authority in the game as the visitors took charge of possession. GPA’s poor run of form in the National League match was evident especially as they lacked the desire to push upfront and grab a goal. Ports Authority sailed through to this stage with 1-0 aggregate win over Sewe Sport of Ivory Coast in the first round while Congolese AS Vita Club thrashed Royal Leopards of Swaziland 4-1 on aggregate in the preliminaries. Conceding an away goal will be headache for the ‘Ferry Boys’ as they head for the return leg with their hopes of making the group stages now dangling. AS Vita Club heads home with an away goal advantage, hoping to seal their passage into the group stage with a solitary win or a goalless draw next week in Kinshasa.]]>