Panthère du Nde’s African journey ends as Cameroon’s CAF wait continues

By Angu Lesley

Football Writer,kick442.com-Cameroon

Panthère du Nde’s return to continental football has ended at the first hurdle after the Cameroonian side were held to a goalless draw by Rwanda’s Rayon Sports at the Amahoro Stadium in Kigali on Saturday.

The 0-0 draw was enough for Rayon Sports to advance to the second preliminary round of the CAF Confederation Cup on the away-goals rule after the two teams finished level at 1-1 on aggregate. Panthère had been held to a 1-1 draw in the first leg in Cameroon, leaving them needing a positive result in Kigali to keep their continental adventure alive.

Despite a disciplined defensive display, Panthère could not find the goal that would have changed the tie. Rayon Sports protected their advantage from the first leg and eventually secured their passage, with Cameroonians Junior Kameni and Dande Junior now continuing the campaign with the Rwandan club.

For Panthère, the elimination brings an early end to a return to the African stage that had generated considerable expectations following their domestic success. The Nde-based club will now turn their attention back to the domestic campaign after failing to become the first Cameroonian representative in four seasons to reach the second preliminary round of the Confederation Cup.

Cameroon’s wait for a club to progress beyond the opening round of the competition therefore continues. The last Cameroonian club to reach the second preliminary round was Coton Sport de Garoua in the 2021/22 season.

Since then, the country’s representatives have repeatedly fallen at the opening hurdle. In 2022/23, PWD Bamenda were eliminated by Elgeco Plus of Madagascar after a 1-1 home draw and a 1-0 defeat away. Cameroon did not have a representative in the competition in 2023/24, before Fovu de Baham suffered a 4-0 first-leg defeat against Liberia’s Paynesville in 2024/25 and exited despite a 1-0 home victory in the return leg.

Last season, Aigle Royal de la Menoua also failed to progress, drawing 2-2 away to Côte d’Ivoire’s San Pedro after losing the first leg 1-0 in Cameroon. Panthère du Nde have now become the latest Cameroonian casualty, extending the country’s frustrating run in the CAF Confederation Cup and leaving Cameroon still searching for a club capable of breaking through the first-round barrier.