A must-win match in Group A is among the opening matches on Saturday for the third matchday of the CAF Champions League with DR Congo's TP Mazembe hosting Young Africans of Tanzania. With Mazembe on one point and Yanga yet to earn one themselves, the loser on Saturday is all but out of contention for a place in the quarterfinal stage.
TP Mazembe
For the Congolese champions Mazembe, their home confines in Lubumbashi are an excellent venue to get their continental campaign back on track. Head coach Lamine Ndiaye acknowledged the importance of Saturday's match but took time to praise his team's performance in their previous Champions League clash, a 2-1 defeat to Sudan's Al-Hilal in Mauritania: "We must reproduce the same match that we had in Mauritania but by being more efficient." Ndiaye was mostly referring to his team's inability to finish chances but also to the avoidable goals conceded.
So how can Mazembe improve their finishing? It appears to be a long-term issue that will need temporary solutions to find success now. 19-year-old Oscar Kabwit is the most promising member of the Ravens attack but the fact that Ndiaye looks to Suleman Shaibu as his primary striking substitution, a Nigerian goalkeeper who has been converted to striker, is the most disturbing sign that Mazembe lacks the firepower to compete at this level. The task of victory is not impossible, however, because Mazembe still do possess a strong defense that can set the stage for a narrow victory.
Young Africans
The CAF Champions League campaign has been even more dire for Yanga who lost at home to Al-Hilal in their opening match before capitulating to MC Alger in Algeria last weekend. Head coach Sead Ramovic referred to missing players such as Khalid Aucho due to injury as a major reason for the defeats but the reality remains that this Yanga team lacks the strength of teams in previous years.
Uganda national team captain Aucho is back in the squad while forwards Prince Dube, Clement Mzize and Kennedy Musonda are back to full strength after injuries but it remains to be seen how influential they can be. Key attacker Stephane Aziz Ki showed some signs of quality against Al-Hilal but was just as ineffective as the rest of the attack in Algeria. The attacking talent is there but Ramovic will depend on his defense led by Tanzania national team defender Ibrahim Bacca to keep the match tight while the midfield and attack continue their attempts to sort things out.
Comments