CAF Club Competitions: FC Samartex to seal Victoria United's fate, Nsoatreman FC to ride storm in Yaounde
FC Samartex 1996, Ghana’s CAF Champions League hopefuls, are gearing up for a pivotal showdown as they welcome Victoria United to the Accra Stadium tomorrow.
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Riding high on their 1-0 victory from the first leg, the Samreboi-based side are poised to capitalise on their home advantage, with the backing of fervent supporters, to book their place in the next round of Africa’s premier inter-club competition.
Their triumph in Douala last Sunday has injected a fresh wave of confidence into Coach Nurudeen Amadu’s squad. With momentum firmly on their side, they’re aiming for nothing short of an emphatic win, ready to deliver a statement performance on home turf.
Matches between Ghanaian and Camerounian sides have always been fiercely contested, given the storied football rivalry between these two nations.
Victoria United, making their debut on the continental stage, are expected to come out swinging, eager to overturn their first-leg deficit and pull off a surprise in Accra. The stakes could not be higher, and the visitors will undoubtedly fight tooth and nail to keep their campaign alive.
However, Coach Amadu is resolute in his mission to make Ghana proud. He knows that this match is a defining moment in FC Samartex’s history, and he’s determined to guide his team to glory.
Key players like Skipper Emmanuel Adu Siaw Samuel Tetteh, Emmanuel Mamah, James Sewornu, Dauda Yussif Seidu, and Richmond Darko will be crucial in turning the dream into reality, as they look to assert their dominance over the Camerounian side.
Victoria United, much like their hosts, are no strangers to success having clinched their domestic league title.
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Under the guidance of Bulgarian tactician Nicolae Dimitar Pantev, they will be out to prove that their league triumph was no fluke. Pantev, stung by last Sunday’s home defeat, is likely to shake up his starting eleven, opting for a more aggressive approach in a bid to outmuscle the Ghanaians and keep their Champions League journey alive.
Meanwhile, in the Confederation Cup, Ghana’s Nsoatreman FC are set to face Elect Sport of Chad in their preliminary round second-leg encounter this afternoon at the Amadou Ahidjo Stadium in Yaoundé. With a commanding 3-0 lead from the first leg, Nsoatreman are in a strong position.
Yet, Coach Yaw Preko is wary of the unpredictability that football often brings. Playing on neutral ground due to the lack of a CAF-certified stadium in Chad, Preko has warned his side against complacency.
“Football is full of surprises. I’ve been in the game for a very long time, and I know that if you underrate your opponents, they will hurt you. We still have a lot of work to do and need to make sure our tactics work in the return leg,” said Coach Preko, as he aims to guide Nsoatreman FC to emulate the success of Ghana’s Dreams FC, who reached the penultimate round of the competition last season.