Ait Ouarkhane confident FAR Rabat can overturn Sundowns deficit in TotalEnergies CAF Champions League final

FAR Rabat midfielder Khalid Ait Ouarkhane says the Moroccan side are confident they can recover from their first-leg defeat against Mamelodi Sundowns and win the TotalEnergies CAF Champions League title.

FAR Rabat host the South African club on Sunday, 24 May, at the Moulay Abdellah Stadium in Rabat in the second leg of the final.

The Moroccan side lost the first leg 1-0 in Pretoria last week, but Ait Ouarkhane believes the tie remains open as FAR prepare to play the decisive match in front of their home supporters.

“The second leg will be difficult,” Ait Ouarkhane told CAFOnline.com exclusively ahead of the second-leg of the final.

“As everyone knows, we lost the first leg, but now we are optimistic before the return match and excited to play it. God willing, the match will go in our favour.”

FAR Rabat are hoping to use home advantage and the expected support of their fans to overturn the deficit against one of Africa’s strongest clubs.

The match carries major significance for the Moroccan side, who are chasing their first continental title since 1985, the year of their first and only African crown.

Ait Ouarkhane said the players are working collectively to respond to the first-leg setback and deliver the performance needed to bring the trophy back to Rabat.

“God willing, we are working to make up for the first-leg defeat,” he said.

“All the players are helping and contributing so that the whole team can be in the best possible condition.”

The midfielder also praised the role of the technical and medical staff in preparing the squad for the final, both physically and mentally.

“The technical and medical staff are working to support us and prepare us in the best possible way,” he said.

FAR Rabat know they must beat Sundowns to have any chance of lifting the TotalEnergies CAF Champions League trophy.

For the club and its supporters, the second leg is more than a final. It is an opportunity to end more than four decades without a continental title and restore one of Morocco’s historic clubs to the top of African football.

Sundowns travel to Rabat with a narrow advantage, but FAR believe the backing of their fans and the determination inside the squad can help them turn the final around.

Ait Ouarkhane said the mood within the team remains positive despite the challenge ahead.

“We are optimistic and motivated,” he said.

“God willing, the match will be in our favour.”