A John Antwi brace helped Dreams Football Club stage a remarkable comeback to upset Stade Malien in the first leg of their CAF Confederations Cup quarter-final clash at Stade du 26 Mars in Bamako, Mali.
After conceding an early goal from Yoro Diaby, the Ghanaian side regrouped and fought back valiantly in the second half.
Antwi emerged as the hero with a crucial brace, turning the tide in favour of the Still Believe Lads and giving them a vital advantage ahead of the return leg on Sunday, April 4.
Stade Malien, having kicked off the game aggressively in a bid to unsettle their opponents, struggled to break through the solid defence marshalled by Eric Boateng and goalkeeper Solomon Agbasi. Agbasi, in particular, made two outstanding saves to deny the Malian side’s attacking efforts.
However, they finally managed to break the deadlock eight minutes after recess with Yoro Diaby rifling home from a freekick.
Despite the early setback, Dreams FC regained their composure and turned the tables with the introduction of Ishmael Dede.
Antwi’s equaliser, following a rebound, injected renewed energy into the Ghanaian side, setting the stage for a dramatic turnaround.
The turning point came when Abdul Aziz Issah’s shot was handled inside the box by Issah Yakubu, resulting in a penalty for Dreams FC.
Antwi stepped up and confidently converted the spot-kick, putting his team ahead in the 71st minute.
Stade Malien’s frustrations boiled over late in the game, with Fady Coulibaly receiving a red card for a reckless challenge on Antwi.
Despite a late surge from the hosts, Dreams FC held firm defensively to secure a hard-fought 2-1 victory in the first leg.
