Douane secured a 0:1 victory over Haifa in the first preliminary round of the CAF Confederation Cup on Friday evening. The result tips the scale in the away leg after the sides had shared points in their opening meeting just two weeks ago. Haifa will need to find a way to turn their home advantage into progression from this stage.
The reverse fixture played on 5 September ended 2:2, a result that leaves both clubs with something to prove. Douane were not able to carry that momentum into a cleaner performance here, but they took the points when it mattered. Haifa could not break through despite having the home crowd behind them.
Official match statistics show zero across the board for both teams — corners, shots, fouls, passes, everything. That does not mean the match was without incident, merely that nothing was recorded in those categories. The game was decided by a single moment, not by sustained pressure or volume of attempts.
Haifa's recent form has been mixed, with two draws and three other matches ending in either a stalemate or a narrow defeat. They had drawn 2:2 with Douane in their last outing, then lost 1:2 to Goroh and failed to score against RD Casablanca and Renaissance. The pattern suggests a side that struggles to close out games when they are not dominating.
Douane's away record has been tougher, with defeats to Nsidan and Gendrim and a draw with Kaedi before that 2:2 draw at home. They also drew 2:2 with Nouadhibou in their previous away trip. But this result gives them a clear path forward if they can protect what they have earned.
The tie remains delicately balanced, with Douane holding a narrow advantage after taking the away goal. Haifa must now produce something more decisive if they are to overturn the deficit and keep their continental ambitions alive.