Stars take lead to Zambia
All to play for in second leg
The African Stars team know that the job is not done yet, following their first leg triumph over Power Dynamos at the weekend.
Goals from Peter Adiwoh, their new forward signing from Ghana, and Edmund Kambanda proved enough for African Stars to take a lead against Zambia after they beat Power Dynamos 2-1 in the CAF Champions League first leg preliminary round at the Dobsonville Stadium in Johannesburg.
“We worked on the strengths and weaknesses of Power Dynamos and this proved crucial for us in this match. We look forward to the next match, because there are still 90 minutes before this tie is over,” Stars coach Prince George Koffie said.
The second leg will be played at the Levy Mwanawasa Stadium in Zambia on Saturday 26 August.
African Stars will need to draw or win the match by any margin to qualify to the next round.
Power Dynamos can however secure a place in the next round if they beat Stars 1-0 or by any other margin.
The Zambian champions have the odds favouring them given that they will be playing on their home ground.
The 49 800-seat Levy Mwanawasa Stadium in Ndola is expected to be packed to the rafters, providing a hostile situation to the visitors.
Stars will have to be strong defensively and on the counter if they are to keep the Zambians at bay.
African Stars captain Ronald Ketjijere said he is aware of the pressure they could potentially face in Zambia, but still happy with the weekend’s result.
“We know we have a tough encounter away from home, but we are proud of today’s victory.
“It was not an easy match for us, because we had our backs against the ropes in some minutes of the half, but we continued pushing.
“A 2-1 advantage may not sound like a convincing lead, but we at least have something to defend in Zambia,” Ketjijere said.
Costly exercise
The club has had to dig deep in its pockets to make their continental representation possible.
The club is reportedly spending over N$2.3 million on their assignment in the Confederation of African Football’s club showpiece.
The management of Stars feel the burden could have been lesser had there been proper infrastructure in place.
Stars will for now have to play all their home matches in another country for as long as they qualify to the next round and for as long as Namibian stadiums are not at the standards required by CAF and FIFA.
“We worked on the strengths and weaknesses of Power Dynamos and this proved crucial for us in this match. We look forward to the next match, because there are still 90 minutes before this tie is over,” Stars coach Prince George Koffie said.
The second leg will be played at the Levy Mwanawasa Stadium in Zambia on Saturday 26 August.
African Stars will need to draw or win the match by any margin to qualify to the next round.
Power Dynamos can however secure a place in the next round if they beat Stars 1-0 or by any other margin.
The Zambian champions have the odds favouring them given that they will be playing on their home ground.
The 49 800-seat Levy Mwanawasa Stadium in Ndola is expected to be packed to the rafters, providing a hostile situation to the visitors.
Stars will have to be strong defensively and on the counter if they are to keep the Zambians at bay.
African Stars captain Ronald Ketjijere said he is aware of the pressure they could potentially face in Zambia, but still happy with the weekend’s result.
“We know we have a tough encounter away from home, but we are proud of today’s victory.
“It was not an easy match for us, because we had our backs against the ropes in some minutes of the half, but we continued pushing.
“A 2-1 advantage may not sound like a convincing lead, but we at least have something to defend in Zambia,” Ketjijere said.
Costly exercise
The club has had to dig deep in its pockets to make their continental representation possible.
The club is reportedly spending over N$2.3 million on their assignment in the Confederation of African Football’s club showpiece.
The management of Stars feel the burden could have been lesser had there been proper infrastructure in place.
Stars will for now have to play all their home matches in another country for as long as they qualify to the next round and for as long as Namibian stadiums are not at the standards required by CAF and FIFA.
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