Medeama plot O.M. Bejaia defeat
After losing 1-3 to T P Mazembe in their Group A opener in Lubumbashis a fortnight ago, Medeama Sporting Club will be hoping to record a good home win this afternoon against Algerian side Mouladia Olympique de Bejaia, popularly known as MO Bejaia, to get their Confederation Cup campaign back on track
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Currently faced with financial turbulence, coupled with the Lubumbashi loss, as well as their 0-1 loss to New Edubiase in the domestic Week 16 league fixture, expectations are that Medeama, the remaining Ghanaian club in Africa Inter Club competitions, will up their game to snatch the all important win for the nation.
Last Tuesday, head coach of the club, Prince Yaw Owusu, in a telephone conversation with the Graphic Sports assured that irrespective of the challenges, the players were psyched up to go all out to secure the needed victory at Essipong.
According to him, although payment of bonuses was a necessary motivation for the players, it should not be used to measure the performance of his side as they intended to win today’s game to increase the bonuses they had accumulated since the competition began.
“Money is a problem all over the world and not only at Medeama. It is true the club owes the players but don’t forget that CAF also owes the club and the players understand this because they know that the more you play and win, the more your money increases”, he said.
“The players know what happened to us in Congo just two weeks ago so they will do everything possible to win this game. I know that as we are preparing, our opponents are also preparing but I have psyched my team up for victory so there is nothing to worry about”, he stressed.
Indeed, with the return of impressive defender Daniel Amoah from suspension and the arrival of former Liberty Professionals shot stopper Daniel Nii Adjei to the team, the two-time Ghana FA Cup winners appear boosted for a show down with Bejaia this afternoon.
Coach Owusu is sure to line up a battalion of soldiers for the giant killing, and these will include the team’s talisman Malik Akowuah, Paul Aidoo, Kwasi Donsu, Samuel Adade, Moses Sarpong, Bismark Oppong and Daniel Amoah, to pick their first three points of the campaign.
Meanwhile, the North Africans arrived in the country last Monday with a 27-man contingent ready to battle and cause an upset in today’s match on the strength of their 1-0 home win against Young Africans of Tanzania in their first match.
Also known as ‘The Crabs’, the Algerians are a team whose form has never dipped when they finished second in the Algerian League 1 in the 2014/2015 season and are currently placed sixth with 44 points in the ongoing League.
Coached by Abdelkader Amrani, M O Bejaia ousted Ashantigold from the 2016 CAF Champions League competition after losing 0-1 in Obuasi and beating the Miners 3-1 in Algiers in the return leg.