NA Royal (NIG) – Centre Sportif de Bamako CSB (MALI) 1-6 (0-1)
Although the players were of a similar height, that was where the similarities ended. The contrast in physique between the Mali side in blue and the Nigerian team in white was striking. At first glance, it looked as though the players from Mali might struggle against their more powerfully built opponents.
However, the Blues refused to be intimidated by the apparent physical disadvantage. It was a hard-fought and at times scrappy match, with tackles flying in from both sides. Yet Fair Play remained a defining feature throughout, and the match was never spoiled by reckless or overly aggressive challenges.
Despite appearing to hold the physical edge, NA Royal of Nigeria rarely managed to threaten. Instead, it was Centre Sportif de Bamako who produced the quality in front of goal, scoring a series of excellent goals. The closing goals underlined Centre Sportif de Bamako's complete dominance.
Centre Sportif de Bamako arrived in Hjørring with the stated ambition of winning the Dana Cup on their first-ever visit. They achieved that goal in impressive style.
