Watanga Football Club endured a tough challenge against Stade Malian de Bamako in the CAF Confederation Cup, resulting in a 7-2 aggregate loss. This unfortunate outcome has placed Watanga fourth among Liberian clubs with high goal aggregates losses in CAF competitions.
By Wleh Bedell Contributing Reporter
The first leg of this encounter, held at the Samuel Kanyon Doe Sports Complex (SKD), saw Watanga fall short to their Malian counterparts, losing 3-1. The second leg, which took place in Mali, ended in a 4-1 victory for the home team. Consequently, the Malian side secured their spot in the next round of the CAF Confederation Cup with an overall 7-2 goal aggregate.
It is worth noting that Liberia Black Star, then the Liberian club champions, faced a similar fate in the 2009 CAF Champions League, recording a staggering 10-1 goal aggregate loss to Nigerian outfit Heartland. The Nigerian club triumphed 4-0 in the first leg at home and repeated their dominance with a 6-1 win in Liberia, making them the Liberian club with the highest aggregate loss in any CAF competition. Bill Sheriff managed to score the lone goal for the Liberian club.
In another instance, Liberia’s league champions, NPA Anchors, were eliminated by Ghanaian league champions Obuasi Gold Fields with an 8-1 goal aggregate. The first leg, held at the Antoinette Tubman Stadium (ATS), ended in a goalless draw, but Obuasi Gold Fields dominated the Anchors with an 8-1 victory at the Land Clay Stadium in Obuasi. Frank Taylor, a substitute, scored NPA’s only consolation goal in the 1995 CAF Champions League, making them the second Liberian club with the highest goal aggregate loss in a CAF competition.
In 1993, FDA Foresters became the third Liberian club to exit a CAF competition, with an aggregate loss of 7-1 in the inaugural edition of the Confederation Cup. They suffered a 2-0 defeat at the ATS and a 5-1 loss in Accra to Accra Hearts of Oak in Ghana.
In 2012, champions LISCR faced a significant defeat, succumbing to Ghanaian champions Berekum Chelsea with a 5-0 goal aggregate. Chelsea secured a 2-0 win at the ATS in the first leg and clinched a 3-0 win in the second leg, advancing to the second round of the CAF Champions League. This result placed LISCR as the fifth Liberian club with the highest aggregate loss in CAF competitions.
In 1986, Guinean giants Horoya triumphed over Liberia’s invincible Eleven (IE) with a 5-3 goal aggregate. Horoya won the first leg 4-0 in Conakry, and IE managed a 3-1 victory in the second leg at the ATS. This outcome allowed Horoya to progress with a 5-3 goal aggregate, leaving IE as the sixth Liberian club with the highest aggregate loss in a CAF competition.
Lastly, St. Joseph Warriors hold the seventh spot, having lost to Accra Hearts of Oak in 1979 with a 5-2 goal aggregate in the first round. Hearts secured a 2-1 victory in Monrovia and repeated their success with a 3-1 win in Accra, securing their place in the next round with a 5-2 goal aggregate.