Kinshasa, March 18th, 2023 (CPA), – « We will do everything to beat Wydad Athletic club of Morocco, Saturday at 14:00′ at the Alphonse Massamba Debat stadium, in Congo-Brazzaville, in the match of the 5th day of group A of the Champions League of the African Confederation of Football, » said the coach of AS Vita club of DRC, Raoul Shungu, Friday in a pre-match press conference.
For coach Shungu, his team remains calm before receiving the title holder, preferring to see things in a positive way. « We are very calm and aware of what is at stake in this match. In the first leg in Casablanca, we lost by an own goal, otherwise we would have drawn. For tomorrow, we will fight to get this victory and go to negotiate our qualification in Angola against Pedro Athletic, » he said.
The Green and Blacks of Kinshasa have no right to make mistakes against a formidable Moroccan team. A defeat of the Congolese will confirm their elimination and the qualification of the Moroccans.
« We play our destiny tomorrow and we must draw on our last energy, wetting the shirt and hope until the end, » said coach Raoul Shungu.
To reach the quarter-finals, the Black Dolphins must absolutely win the Moroccan WAC, leader in the ranking and the Angolan Petro Athletic. But also, the Kinshasa side must hope for a double counter-performance of the Algerians of Jeunesse Sportive Kabylie (𝗝𝗦𝗞), respectively at Petro and WAC.
Lupopo will play USM d’Alger on Sunday in Ndola, Zambia in the CAF Cup.
FC Saint Eloi Lupopo of Lubumbashi will play their fate against US Medina of Algeria on Sunday March 19th at 13:00 local time at Levy Mwanawasa stadium in Ndola, Zambia, in the 5th day of group A of the CAF Confederation Cup.
Lupopo remain in control of their destiny despite their 1-1 draw with Al Akhdar Sport Club in Libya on Wednesday 8 March. The Cheminots, 3rd in its group with 4 points, has all the opportunity to validate its ticket for the next round and are forced to take revenge on the Algerians to try to bounce back in the ranking of the group A. Faced with a club that beat them on the first day, Mohammed Magassouba’s colts will have no choice but to win, as any other result would sound the death knell of their dream African campaign.
« We have to work hard. Nothing is totally lost. It’s true that we put ourselves under undue pressure by conceding a last-minute draw but we have to fight. The impossible does not exist in a football match and we must believe until the last minute of this final phase. Together, we can hope and win, » said coach Mohamed Magassouba back in Ndola, the day after their 1-0 defeat in Libya.
The Lumpas who have learned from their youthful mistakes have certainly refined effective tactical strategies to force the Algerians to leave the feathers in Ndola. The Yellow and Blue Lumpas will be able to count on the return of their best goal scorer of the competition Josue Kazima, who was absent due to the death of his father, according to the communication service of the Lumpas club.
Big absentees on the Algerian side
FC Saint Eloi Lupopo of Lubumbashi will have to take advantage of major absences from the side of US Medina of Algeria, informs the official website of the club.
Indeed, the Algerian Red and Black will be without five of their staff due to injuries and accumulated cards during this match to qualify for them. The right back Saadi Radouani because of an adductor injury is still in the infirmary, the right winger Abderrahmane Meziane continues to treat his calf injury and the defensive midfielder Islam Merili although having left the infirmary and started the specific program recommended, is not yet fit to resume the field. He will have to wait before resuming official competition.
USM Alger will also be without two major players: central defender Adam Alilet and defensive midfielder Karim Benkhelifa. These two players are suspended for accumulating cards and will only be available for the match of the 6th and last day of the group phase against Al-Akhdar SC.
These absences should be well exploited by the Cheminots in order to catch this Algerian team, 2nd in the ranking with 7 points. Lupopo, with 4 points in case of victory, can dethrone this place and hope for a qualification during the last day. However, a draw would be enough for the men from Soustara to return with the qualifying ticket, hoping for a slip-up by Al-Akhdar SC in front of Marumo Gallants.
The men of coach Mohamed Magassouba, whose infirmary has revealed nothing, have no right to error against the foals of coach Abdelhak Benchikha if they want to capitalize their chance of qualification for the quarterfinals. The « yellow and blue » are therefore forced to win.
Unlike the previous trip to South Africa, the Algerians will be in Ndola in Zambia on Friday by a special flight of Tassili Airlines. The Red-Black team will then have a training session.
In this group, Marumo Gallant (South Africa) is the leader with 9 points. It is followed by US Medina d’Alger (Algeria) 7 points, then Lupopo 4 pts and Al-Akhdar SC 4pts holds the tail.
DCMP faces its destiny in front of ASEC Mimosa
The DC Motema Pembe of Kinshasa will face its destiny in front of ASEC Mimosa of Cote d’Ivoire on Sunday, at the November 11th stadium in Luanda, Angola, in the 5th day of the group B of the African Confederation Cup of Football.
The Tupamaros, who are last in the standings with two points, must first beat the Ivorian club Asec Mimosa at home, before negotiating their last match away against the Diables noirs of Brazzaville. With two wins, the Green and Red of Kinshasa could qualify with eight points, if Asec Mimosa stumbles in their final game against River United who is almost through.
Already defeated in the first phase 0-1, DCMP fell again to the Nigerian team, 1-3, and saw their chances of qualifying for the next round further diminished.
Prior to Sunday’s clash, Tupamaros drew a one-goal friendly with Primeiro de Agosto on Thursday March 16th. Mpiana Mozizi scored the only goal for the « Bana dora ».
Mazembe in hopeful match against Real Bamako
TP Mazembe of Lubumbashi will play their hope match against AS Real Bamako on Sunday at 17h00′ at the March 26th stadium in the 5th day of group D of the CAF Confederation Cup.
« I still have confidence, even if our fate does not depend only on us. We lost our privilege in the last few games and now we can only hope, » said coach Pamphile Mihayo as they left for Bamako.
The Crows of Lubumbashi, 3 points obtained, by the way, at home to the same team, have exposed their chances of qualification after a double defeat to US Monastir (0-2, 0-1). Mazembe must beat their next two opponents, Real Bamako and Young Africans, while hoping for a misstep (defeat) of the Tanzanians at home to US Monastir, who is almost qualified.
Despite their poor performances in their last three matches, Mazembe still believe they have a chance of reaching the quarter-finals. A delicate mission but not impossible for the « Badiangwena », who left Lubumbashi last Tuesday, March 14th at 22 hours aboard a regular Tunis Air.
Before making the trip to Bamako, the Black and Whites of the copper city drew a one-goal friendly against the Tunisian club Bizertin. Merceil Ngimbi scored the only goal for the Crows. CPA/
