Royal AM were beaten by T.P Mazembe in the second leg of the CAF Confederation Cup playoff by 1-0 and 3-0 on aggregate at the Moses Mabhida Stadium on Wednesday night.
Bossu Adam made things hard for the home team, sprinting clear just before half time to poke what was a major goal for Mazembe to all seal their place in the group stages.
Royal AM lost in the first leg 2-0 in Lubumbashi, the game described by club boss Shauwn Mkhize as an atrocious experience.
In Durban, tensions were already building and fans clashed before the game kicked off and during the game, with police coming to restore peace in the stands.
Royal AM’s early start was clear that they had to take the game to Mazembe and they duly did, with the Congolese side on the back foot to just hack the balls away from their box.
Mxolisi Macuphu then stung goalie Ibrahim Bosso with a bicycle kick in the 30 minute as the home side came close to scoring.
However, the longer the game went, the more Royal AM were desperate to get the goal
Again Bosso was called into action by Shaun Mogaila, who curled the ball outside the box but he was denied by ‘keeper who tipped the ball away.
Because Royal AM were throwing men forward, Bossu Adam punished the home side. He sprinted to the loose ball to stroke it past Xolani Ngcobo in goals in the 43rd minute to make the home side’s job much of an arm wrestle to topple.
That meant Royal AM needed four goals to overcome the experienced Mazembe side, who won this competition twice on the bounce in the 2016 and 2017 seasons.
It could have been more for Mazembe in the second half when Adam was clean through on goal again after Mogaila had lost the ball cheaply, but his shot shaved the post in the 52nd minute.
Royal AM’s loss Marumo Gallants will be the only side from Mzansi in the Confed Cup group stages after overcoming Al Ahli Tripoli to win 3-0 and 3-1 on aggregate at Peter Mokaba Stadium also on Wednesday.
