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Leopards’ new coach gives Mosimane some advice
Former CAF Champions League-winning coach Pitso Mosimane recently expressed his desire to start continental inter-club competitions against unfashionable sides. Mosimane said this was because it was easier to play against “teams of part-timers and fishermen” than to be handed a serious and tricky draw from the onset.
The 2016 champions, Mamelodi Sundowns, kick off their continental campaign against Leones Vegetarianos of Equatorial Guinea in Malabo on Wednesday.
It is Soweto powerhouses Kaizer Chiefs and Orlando Pirates who were handed the “fishermen” from the Indian Ocean islands – Zimamoto FC and Light Stars – in the Confederation Cup and Champions League, respectively.
After being eliminated by a less-fancied Horoya AC of Guinea in the Champions League group stage last season, Mosimane warned of being cautious against Leones.
He has since received some advice from an unlikely source in newly appointed Black Leopards’ coach Darryn Kerr.
Kerr met Leones in the Champions League early this year when he was still in charge of Kenyan champions Gor Mahia.
“I have already told Pitso [about the Equatoguinean club]. They play with spirit and will always press. Even after outplaying them, they never give up,” said Kerr, who arrived at Leopards this week.
Sundowns will host the second leg at Loftus Versfeld Stadium on December 5.
And if the South African champions beat Leones over two legs, they will meet the winner between Libya’s Al-Ahly Benghazi and FC Nouadhibou from Mauritania.
Micho targets spot in the group stage
Like Sundowns, Orlando Pirates could also thrive on their coach Milutin Sredojevic’s extensive knowledge of continental football.
Ahead of their meeting with Light Stars of the Seychelles in Soweto on Wednesday evening, Sredojevic highlighted Bafana Bafana’s failure to beat the Seychelles back to back in the Afcon qualifiers as a warning that must be heeded.
“This needs to be a warning sign to us not to underrate Light Stars, but to give them deserved respect – but not over respect – and absolute arrogance when we have the ball to show who is the boss in the tie between us and them,” the Serb said.
Sredojevic, a former Uganda national team coach, said the target was to reach the group stages of the cup that Pirates lifted in 1995.
The Buccaneers last turned out in a continental club competition three years ago, when they finished as the 2015 Confederation Cup runners-up.
Sredojevic, who also had a stint in Ethiopia as a club coach, said he relied on his “personal ambassadors” around the continent to get information on African clubs and their leagues.
“When you are coach Micho, you know many people on this continent,” said Sredojevic as a hint that he has done thorough homework on his little-known opponents.
“There are seven Ugandan players who are playing in the Seychelles and I know every single detail about our opponents in advance. They will have four Madagascar players and the best players of the Seychelles [national team].”
The Pirates game at Orlando Stadium will kick off at 7.30pm. The return leg is pencilled in for December 5 in the Seychelles.
Success over Light Stars will pit the Buccaneers against the winner of the match between Volcan de Moroni of Comoros and Namibia’s African Stars.
How far can Chiefs go this time?
Chiefs coach Giovanni Solinas was so obsessed about his side’s Telkom Knockout semifinal against Pirates that he couldn’t even say how much information Amakhosi had gathered on their CAF opponent.
Chiefs host Zimamoto in Port Elizabeth at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium in a 7.30pm kickoff on Wednesday night.
“Football has taught us that, if you disrespect your opponent, you will be in trouble,” the Italian told City Press.
It has been two years since Chiefs last kicked an official ball in any CAF competition.
Amakhosi were eliminated in the first round of the 2016 Champions League by ASEC Mimosas after the Soweto powerhouse had advanced through a walkover over Volcan de Moroni, who failed to arrive for the second leg in Durban.
Solinas, who does not boast much experience when it comes to African football, will depend on Khama Billiat and Leonardo Castro to carry Chiefs’ CAF hopes.
The pair won the Champions League with Sundowns two years ago.
If Chiefs go past Zimamoto over two legs, they will meet the winner between Deportivo Unidad of Equatorial Guinea and ASSM Elgeco Plus of Madagascar.
Free State Stars between a rock and a hard place
Coachless Free State Stars must decide whether to focus on the Absa Premiership or invest as much on their debut in the Confederations Cup.
Ea Lla Koto already face the challenge of taking their home leg against Rwandan side Mukura Victory Sports to the Bidvest Stadium in Johannesburg.
CAF rules state that visiting teams should not travel more than 200km by road from their port of entry into a country, unless Stars are ready to incur additional costs in airfares to fly the entire Mukura entourage to the Free State.
The game on Wednesday will be Stars’ first official match without a coach since the club parted ways with Luc Eymael a fortnight ago.
Eymael’s departure came at the wrong time – the Belgian has vast knowledge of continental football.
Stars will travel to Rwanda for the second leg on December 5.
Should Ea Lla Koto progress, they will meet Hilal Obeid of Sudan in the next round.
