Ghanaian outfit Nations FC suffered a narrow defeat to FC Diarra in the first leg of the CAF Confederation Cup preliminary round on Saturday.

The highly competitive clash, held at the Stade Mamadou Konaté, ended 1-0 in favour of the Malian outfit. The first half of the match ended in a pulsating goalless draw, with both teams struggling to find the back of the net.

After the recess, the home team found the breakthrough and broke the deadlock in the 55th minute, earning them a slender advantage heading into the second leg in Ghana.

Nations FC threw in men in the second half in search of an equaliser, but FC Diarra held firm to protect their lead and secure victory on home soil.

Having suffered defeat in the first leg, the Ghana FA Cup champions will now have to turn the scoreline around on home turf to secure a place in the second phase of the preliminary round.

The return leg will take place in Ghana on Sunday, September 13, with Nations FC expected to deliver a strong performance to book qualification to the next phase of the qualifiers.

Nations FC are making their debut appearance in Africa’s second-tier club competition after winning the 2025/26 MTN FA Cup.

Victory over FC Diarra in the second leg would see Nations FC advance to the second preliminary round, where they would face either Niger’s AS Zam or Burkina Faso’s ASKO de Kara.

For Nations FC, the return leg represents a significant moment as they look to establish themselves on the continental stage and continue their impressive rise in Ghanaian football.