Medeama face tough task in Lubumbashi
Medeama Sporting Club will this weekend open their Orange CAF Confederation Cup group stage with a tough away assignment to continental giants Tout Puissant (TP) Mazembe on Sunday in Lubumbashi hoping to maintain their impressive run in continental competition.
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The ‘Mauve and Yellows’ have so far enjoyed a good run in the Confederation Cup, having eliminated Al-Ittihad Tripoli, Al Ahly Shendi and South Africa’s Orlando Pirates. This time, however, newly appointed coach Prince Owusu and his charges face perhaps their biggest test yet as they face one of the most consistent performers in African competitions who have won the continent’s premier tournament five times.
Cash-rich and star-studded Mazembe, who boast of Ghanaian quintet Daniel Nii Adjei, Richard Kissie Boateng, Gladson Awako, Yaw Frimpong and Solomon Asante, are favourites going into Sunday’s home match on the back of their strong home record and richer experience in continental football. They won the Champions League last year, having previously claimed Africa’s top prize in 2009 and 2010, and as runners-up in the Confederation Cup in 2013.
There is no doubt that Sunday’s clash will be a tough test for the Ghanaians, especially with Mazembe midfielder Nii Adjei, warning the Tarkwa-based side to expect a difficult match in Lubumbashi.
“They can say they will win because a win is a possible result in every game but coming to beat us in Lubumbashi will not happen. We know them and we have watched them so we will do everything possible to defeat them here in Lubumbashi,” Nii Adjei told Accra FM.
Coach Owusu and his charges acknowledge the enormity of the task ahead, aside the financial distress the club was facing financing their trip to Lubumbashi. To prove their readiness, for that battle, the technical handlers together with the playing body moved camp to Sogakope last Tuesday to train on WAFA’s synthetic pitch since TP Mazembe has a similar turf at their Lubumbashi Stadium.
Mazembe, who have won 14 domestic league titles, four CAF Champions league titles (1967, 1968, 2009, 2010), one Cup Winners' Cup and two CAF Super Cups, last visited Ghana to engage a select side (Dreams Team) in the Mo Ibrahim Governance Cup last year. In 2013, they played Accra Hearts of Oak in the President's Cup in Accra, having previously lost to Berekum Chelsea in the group stage of the 2012 Champions League.
Medeama, who are drawn in Group A alongside Mazembe, MO Bejaia and Young Africans, left Accra last Wednesday with an 18-man playing body, technical, staff and management officials led by the club’s president Moses Armah (Mospacka).
