East End Lions secured a hard-earned 1-1 draw against Côte d’Ivoire’s AFAD Plateau in the first leg of their CAF Confederation Cup first preliminary-round tie on Sunday at the Stade Félix Houphouët-Boigny in Abidjan.
The Killers, who lifted the 2026 Orange FA Cup with a dramatic late 1-0 win over rivals Mighty Blackpool in Bo, produced a disciplined and resilient performance on the road against a side that finished third in last season’s Ivorian Ligue 1. Kick-off was at 16:00 GMT in the opening continental fixture of the 2026/27 campaign for both clubs.
The result leaves the two-legged tie finely balanced ahead of the return match in Monrovia, Liberia, on 12 September.
AFAD had spoken beforehand of wanting a strong home advantage and a healthy lead before travelling, but the Sierra Leonean side, playing without new head coach Patrick Bangura, returned with a share of the spoils after a tightly contested encounter.
One of Sierra Leone’s most decorated clubs and a record league champions, East End Lions (nicknamed the Red Roaring Lions or The Killers) have a long history of representing the country in African competitions. Qualification from this round would set up a meeting with the winners of Shooting Stars of Nigeria versus CS Sfaxien of Tunisia. Shooting Stars currently hold a 1-0 first-leg advantage after defeating the Tunisian side at home.
The away draw is a positive start for the Lions as they aim to advance further in the TotalEnergies CAF Confederation Cup and fly the Sierra Leone flag high on the continental stage.
