Vipers — Nouadhibou: 1:1, CAF Champions League

Vipers played Nouadhibou in the first preliminary round of the CAF Champions League on Friday. The match ended 1-1 after both sides took a single goal. H. Mukundane opened the scoring for the hosts early on. S. El Abd equalised for Nouadhibou in the 23rd minute.

The home side went ahead in the third minute. Mukundane found space and finished past the keeper. Vipers pushed forward after that, looking to extend their lead. They had 129 attacks throughout the match, more than double Nouadhibou's 75.

Nouadhibou responded in the 23rd minute. El Abd made the most of a chance and brought his side level. The visitors had 16 goal kicks compared to 4 for the hosts, which tells you something about who was under pressure. By then, the match had settled into a rhythm neither side could break.

Possession sat at 50-50 on paper, but the numbers don't capture everything. Vipers won 13 corners to Nouadhibou's 3. Both sides received 1 yellow card. The statistics show a match where chances were scarce.

The draw leaves both teams in the same position heading into the second leg. Vipers have been inconsistent recently, losing 4 of their last 5 fixtures. Nouadhibou showed more resilience, particularly in their last 2 matches. The result keeps the tie alive.