ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia — The only roar that echoed across the Abebe Bikila Stadium on Friday was the persistent chanting of the fans—an unwavering chorus that outlasted the football on the pitch, which in 90 brisk, wind-swept minutes, would not produce a single goal. Welayta Dicha and Al-Ittihad, in what was billed as a tantalizing start to the CAF Confederation Cup’s preliminary round, played out a 0-0 draw that did little to inspire hope for African football’s ambitious future. Yet in the stands and in the streets, the spectacle remained electric—and it’s the faithful, not the football, whose passion might just prove the Confederation Cup’s most valuable asset.