Morocco's Raja Casablanca won the African Confederation Cup for a third time after scoring twice in the first 14 minutes to defeat Algeria's JS Kabylie 2-1 in the final in Benin on Saturday.

Winger Soufiane Rahimi fired Raja in front as early as the fifth minute, beating the offside trap to neatly control a long ball, round the keeper and slot into an empty net.

In-form striker Ben Malango doubled their lead on 14 minutes with a superb low shot on the turn after a low cross from the left found him inside the area.

Mohammed Boulahia pulled one back for Kabylie a minute after the break and the Algerians sensed a comeback when Raja's Omar Arjoune received a straight red card three minutes past the hour mark.

However, Raja held on and survived a late scare from Kabylie to clinch the title.

The Casablanca-based cub also won Africa's secondary club competition in 2003 and 2018. They kept the trophy in Morocco after RS Berkane won last year's edition with a 1-0 victory over Egypt's Pyramids in the final.

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