AS FAR coach Santos: “A well-deserved qualification achieved through effort and solidarity”

In the sultry atmosphere of an African evening charged with tension and emotion, Moroccan giants AS FAR wrote one of the most beautiful pages in its recent history.

Despite a narrow 1-0 defeat away to fellow Moroccan club RS Berkane, les Militaires secured their place in the CAF Champions League final thanks to their 2-0 first leg victory. It was a hard-fought qualification, achieved with great intensity, but celebrated with rare fervor.

🎞️ Match Highlights:
RS Berkane’s goal was not enough as AS FAR march to the #TotalEnergiesCAFCL final. pic.twitter.com/hGU0vCYAsA

— TotalEnergies CAFCL & CAFCC 🏆 (@CAFCLCC) April 18, 2026

At the final whistle, one image stood out: that of head coach Alexandre Santos, overcome with emotion, tears in his eyes. The usually reserved Portuguese coach couldn’t contain his joy after this major achievement.

“Renaissance Berkane has shown that it deserves to be in the final. This proves that Morocco has two very high-level clubs in the Champions League,” he told beIN Sports, still affected by the tension of the match.

AS FAR show determination to secure aggregate victory

In a tight, intense, and tactically demanding match, AS FAR suffered, bending but not breaking, true to the DNA of the great continental teams. “It was a very difficult match, but we deserve this qualification. We tried to play, to push forward, to look for the goal,” continued Santos, clear-sighted about the nature of the duel.

The psychological turning point came after Berkane opened the scoring. Cornered, the visitors had to show solidarity and discipline to preserve their overall lead. “After conceding, we had to close down the spaces. We managed to stay compact, united, and overcome all the difficulties. The team delivered a very good performance,” he analyzed.

In Santos’ tears, there was more than just qualification. There was the weight of history, the pride of a group, and the promise of a final that could become legendary.

EDITOR NOTE: This article is translated from the original article written in French by Omar Chraibi for Pan-Africa Football.