The Algerian, whose side will host the daring Gambian champions Real de Banjul on April 3, however admitted going through hell in Brikama. “Real has proven to be very very difficult,” he said.
Setif came from jail as Real’s early stubbornness made them look ordinary and were lucky to have escaped a headline making defeat after they went behind to an Aboulie Jallow goal in the second half. Jallow had earlier hit the post to rattle the champions in the first half but the Algerians responded with a deadly strike forcing Real’s keeper Nyabally to pull the first of his several heroic saves of the night. The champions were however not to be denied and as Real’s depth and concentration wane, Mohamed Bouchar saved the champions from embarrassment to cancel the lead with an equaliser.
Coach Amat Cham greeted the draw with pride saying that playing the champions of Africa was never going to be easy. “We have accepted this result with the objective of going back to work hard so that we too can score a goal in Algeria,” he said. But he admitted Real slowed down to allow Setif to take the game to them. “What happened today is that we dominated the game for about 70 minutes when we should have pressed on to the full 90 minute,” he lamented.
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