Diambars lose 3-1 at Zarzis in CAF Cup opener

Diambars face a difficult task in the return leg after losing to ES Zarzis in the first round of the CAF Confederation Cup. The Senegalese club will need to overturn a two-goal deficit next week to reach the second round, having also finished the match with 10 players.

Diambars made the stronger start and took the lead in the 13th minute through Djiby Diallo. Zarzis levelled before half-time when Khalil Kassav scored in the 36th minute. The Tunisian side then turned the match around after the interval, adding goals in the 56th and 70th minutes to complete a 3-1 victory.

The result extends a difficult run for Diambars, who had lost to Génération Foot and DSC in their two previous matches before beating Guediawaye FC. They then drew 0-0 with Ouakam and lost 1-0 to La Linguère, leaving them with one win, one draw and three defeats in their last five games before the trip to Tunisia.

Zarzis arrived in better form, with four wins in five matches before facing Diambars. Their only defeat in that sequence was a 1-0 loss to ES Tunis, while they had beaten CS Sfaxien, Club Athlétique Bizertin twice and ES Metlaoui. Diambars now need a significantly improved performance in the second leg to keep their continental campaign alive.