Medeama, Dreams FC will take Africa by storm -- Coaches assure

The head coaches of Medeama SC and Dreams FC, Evans Adotey and Karim Abdul Zito, have expressed their confidence in leading their sides to make an impact in this year’s CAF Champions League and the CAF Confederation Cup respectively.

In separate interviews with the Graphic Sports yesterday, both coaches expressed their readiness to face the challenges that laid ahead despite being placed in demanding groups in their respective competitions.

Tough group

Medeama were pooled in Group D of the Champions League where they face record African champions Al Ahly, formidable Algerian champions CR Belouizdad and Tanzania's Young Africans.

Dreams FC, MTN FA Cup holders, have been pooled in Group C of the Confederation Cup with Nigeria’s Rivers United, Club Africain from Tunisia and APC Lobito from Angola. 

Coach Adotey expressed unwavering confidence, dismissing the aura surrounding 11-time Champions League winners, Al Ahly, as they embark on this phase of the continental campaign.

“They are normal names just as we are. We are not scared of any team. We just have to set our objectives right, focusing on planning and preparation. For us at Medeama, we are using the betPawa Premier League as preparations and we are ever ready for any team,” assured the Medeama coach. 

Coach Adotey, an experienced hand in African football, vowed that the 'Mauve and Yellow' would seize this golden opportunity and aim to achieve a historic feat never before accomplished by a Ghanaian club in a continental competition.

“It is too early to make a prediction, but I am confident that we would go far in this competition. We will take each match at a time and go as far as possible,” Coach Adotey said.

Coach Zito confident

Meanwhile Dreams FC's coach remains undaunted by the reputation of their group rivals. He emphasised the club's strong desire to make a meaningful impact in the continent's second-tier competition, the Confederation Cup.

Abdul Karim Zito - Head Coach of Dreams FC

“We are ready to make meaningful impact in Africa. This is not a knockout stage; it is about building points so we will make sure we accumulate more points to enable us go as far as possible.”

Medeama secured their place in the group stage by prevailing over Horoya AC in the playoff round after they clinched a 4-3 aggregate victory against the Guinean side. They now anticipate even stiffer but surmountable competition in the tournament.

For Dreams FC, they made it to this stage after recording 3-2 aggregates over both Milo FC and Kallon FC in the preliminary rounds.