Samartex coach Nurudeen Amadu frustrated with wastefulness in draw against Raja Casablanca

FC Samartex head coach, Nurudeen Amadu, has voiced his frustration following his team's 2-2 draw against Moroccan giants Raja Casablanca in the first leg of their CAF Champions League second preliminary round clash.

The Timber Giants battled hard at the Ohene Djan Stadium but were left ruing missed opportunities that could have secured them a crucial victory.

The visitors took the lead early through Mohammed Zrida, but Samartex responded with two quick goals from Francis Gyetuah and Michael Ephson just before halftime, turning the game in their favor.

However, a 63rd-minute equalizer from Mohammed Boulacsout denied Samartex a memorable win, leaving the Ghanaian champions with plenty to reflect on ahead of the second leg.

In his post-match press conference, Coach Nurudeen Amadu expressed disappointment, citing his team's lack of clinical finishing as the main reason they couldn't capitalize on their dominance.

"I’m not a happy person, but I think we didn’t disgrace ourselves," Amadu said. "The equalizer in the second half—we just dished it out to them. We didn’t defend well in that situation. We were wasteful in front of goal, and that cost us."

Despite the setback, Amadu remains confident ahead of the return leg in Morocco, stating that he's learned enough about Raja Casablanca's tactics to come up with a winning strategy.

“We are aware that when you make minor mistakes, they punish you for it. Now we are going to fight because I’ve seen how they play, and I will strategize to match them.

We will be resilient and go there to fight,” the coach added.

The second leg of this crucial tie is scheduled for September 21 at the Mohammed V Stadium, with kickoff at 19:00 GMT.