AS Kigali endured a frustrating evening at the Stade El Hadj Gouled as they were held by ASAS Djibouti Telecom to a goalless draw in the preliminary round first leg game of the 2022/23 CAF Confederation Cup.

The game started at a slow pace although AS Kigali looked to be the more purposeful side as they controlled the midfield.

Kenyan import Lawrence Juma and Olivier Niyonzima were a delight to watch as they strung a series of passes together with the ASAS players recoiling to their shells.

The first clear chance of the game fell to Hussein Shabani in the 20th minute but he missed the target after being beautifully played through by skipper Haruna Niyonzima.

Although AS Kigali continued to pile pressure, the home side proved resolute at the back with great defensive work from the likes of Abdallah Yussuf as the first half ended with the scores still goalless.

The second half saw ASAS lifting up their game as they were able to penetrate into the AS Kigali vital area though they lacked the cutting edge and all the chances they created were wasted.

AS Kigali Coach Andre Casa Mbungo brought on Moise Nyarugabo in the 60th minute for Jacques Tuyisenge as Shaban Hussein was left to play upfront as an arrowhead.

Both teams came into the game strongly in the final quarter of an hour but their efforts could not yield any goal as the scores stood goalless until the end of the encounter.

AS Kigali will welcome ASAS Djibouti Telecom to the Huye Stadium for the second leg on Sunday, September 18.