Medeama tipped to sail through

Samuel Ebo Kwaitoo Sports News Apr - 20 - 2016 , 15:48

Medeama Sporting Club are close to another qualification but cannot celebrate yet as their Sudanese opponents, Al Ahly Shendi, are not in any mood to play tourists in their CAF Confederation Cup one-eighth round return leg tie at Essipon this afternoon.

The nation’s pride in continental competitions carry a goalless draw first leg advantage into today’s clash at 3pm, but cannot be complacent as they need as they still need a one-goal edge to inch closer to the lucrative stage of the competition.

According to the tournament schedule, Medeama would still need to contend with a Champions League dro-pout even after crossing this hurdle in what CAF terms as the second one-eighth stage for a place at the group stage.

Ghanaians would wish to forget in a hurry the harrowing experience the Tarkwa-based club went through in their debut two years ago, when they were denied a similar opportunity by another Champions League dropout, AC Leopards, of Congo.

But that notwithstanding, Coach Tom Strand and his boys are bent on drawing inspiration from their impressive away outing to dispatch their opponents just as they did to Libya’s Al Ittihad in the previous round.

Currently, Medeama seem to be doing better in Africa than in the local league, and that could be the motivating factor to drive them on in the continental series as was the case in 2014.

Fortunately for Coach Strand, his young team is playing as a unit with a lot of energy, while key players such as Malik Akowuah, Kwasi Donsu, Kwame Boahene, Abass Iddrisu and goalkeeper Muntari tagoe are in a form of their lives.

Playing at their favourite second home, Medeama are the clear favourites, though they cannot afford to underrate the threat by Al Ahly Shendi, who arrived last Friday and checked in at the Lizzy Sports Complex in Accra to indicate their seriousness for this encounter.