Durban City secured a solid first-leg advantage in the CAF Confederation Cup after beating AS Port Louis 3-1 at Moses Mabhida Stadium on Sunday.

The Citizens, playing in their first-ever continental campaign, controlled large parts of the match and took a two-goal lead into the return leg in Mauritius. Haashim Domingo opened the scoring in the first half, Gaston Sirino doubled the lead early in the second half, and Tashreeq Morris sealed the result with a penalty deep into stoppage time. AS Port Louis pulled one back through Roussety midway through the second half, but it was not enough to stop the home side.

The victory gives Eric Tinkler’s team a strong position ahead of the second leg. A place in the group stages is now within reach if City can avoid a heavy defeat away from home. Tinkler only took charge of the club a short time ago after replacing Khalil Ben Youssef, and the result will give the new coach early confidence as he settles into the role.

Durban City earned their spot in the competition by winning last season’s Nedbank Cup. The club, previously known as Maritzburg United, has been ambitious since the rebrand and has added experienced players such as Sirino and Morris to help them cope with the demands of African football. Both men have played in continental competitions before, and their contributions on Sunday showed why the club brought them in.

The match at Moses Mabhida drew a decent crowd as local fans backed the team in blue and white. City looked comfortable for long periods and created enough chances to score three goals. The late penalty from Morris was a fitting end to an afternoon that belonged to the home side.

City now face the challenge of travelling to Mauritius for the second leg. While the 3-1 scoreline puts them in a good position, Tinkler will know that nothing is guaranteed in African competition. His side still needs to stay focused and disciplined if they want to progress to the group stage of the CAF Confederation Cup for the first time.

The win also comes at an important time for the club as they balance domestic league matches with their continental commitments. For Durban City supporters, Sunday’s result at Moses Mabhida was a clear sign that the team is ready to compete at this level.

Source: https://x.com/iDiskiTimes/status/2111834845303218396