Kenyan midfielder starts as his Armenian side secure UEFA Champions League advantage
Reading Time: 2min | Wed. 08.07.26. | 10:03
The midfielder will be hoping to earn another chance in the return leg as they work towards earning a UEFA Champions League group stage ticket
Kenyan midfielder Alwyn Tera Luheni produced an assured display as Armenian champions Ararat-Armenia defeated Latvian side Riga FC 2-0 in the first leg of their UEFA Champions League first qualifying round tie on Tuesday evening.
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Luheni was named in the starting lineup by head coach Vardan Minasyan and featured for 79 minutes before being substituted, helping the Armenian champions control the midfield as they took a significant step towards the second qualifying round.
The two sides went into the halftime break deadlocked after a tightly contested opening 45 minutes, with neither side able to find the breakthrough.
Ararat-Armenia returned a transformed side after the restart, pressing higher, moving the ball with greater intensity and creating sustained pressure in the visitors' half.
Their dominance eventually paid off in the 63rd minute when Hugo Oliveira, deployed in an unfamiliar central midfield role despite usually operating at full-back, turned home from a corner to give the hosts the lead.
The contest swung further in Ararat-Armenia's favour in the 72nd minute when Riga goalkeeper Frenks Orols misjudged a clearance and handled the ball outside the penalty area. The referee immediately produced a red card, reducing the Latvian outfit to 10 men.
With the numerical advantage, the Armenian champions continued to pile on the pressure and wrapped up victory late on through Brazilian striker Carlos Franca.
The 31-year-old, who joined the club only last week and was making his competitive debut, calmly finished off a move after being picked out by Edgar Grigoryan to double Ararat-Armenia's advantage.
The result gives Ararat-Armenia a commanding 2-0 cushion ahead of the return leg, which will be played in Riga on Tuesday, 14 July.
Victory over the two legs will see Luheni's side progress to the second qualifying round, where they will face either Floriana of Malta or Shamrock Rovers of Ireland.
Tera will be hoping to earn another chance in the return leg as they work towards qualifying for the UEFA Champions League group ticket.
