April 6, (THEWILL)- The action in the CAF Confederation Cup is set to reach a fever pitch on Sunday, as the second-leg quarter-final matches are played across the continent. Zamalek and Rivers United will be the headline acts, as they aim to secure their places in the semi-finals of Africa’s secondary club competition.
Zamalek, the Egyptian powerhouse, are well-positioned to advance into the final four, as they welcome fellow Egyptian side Modern Future to the Cairo International Stadium. The White Knights hold a 2-1 aggregate lead following their first-leg victory, thanks to goals from Hamza Mathlouthi and Ahmed Zizo Sayed. Coach Jose Gomes is confident that his team can not only progress to the semi-finals but also go on to win the Confederation Cup title.
“Zamalek can win the Confederation Cup title, and the players can do their best in the coming period,” said the Portuguese tactician, who admitted that he “wasn’t happy” with his team’s first-leg performance despite the victory.
Nigerian outfit Rivers United will take a narrow 1-0 lead to Algiers for their clash with USM Alger. Augustine Okejepha’s early strike in the first-leg match in Uyo has given the Nigerian side a strong foothold in the tie, though coach Stanley Eguma acknowledges that they could have established a greater advantage.
“One would have expected that the boys would have continued that way because we had a lot of scoring chances that early in the game. But, unfortunately, we couldn’t convert our chances,” said Eguma, whose side will hope to repel an inevitable siege from the hosts at Stade du 5 Juillet.
Elsewhere, Ghana’s Dreams FC will back themselves to see off Stade Malien in Kumasi, having claimed a priceless 2-1 away win in Bamako, while the clash between hosts RS Berkane and Libya’s Abu Salim in Morocco is balanced on a knife-edge after a 0-0 draw in the first-leg encounter.
The four aggregate winners will advance to the semi-finals, which are scheduled to be held on the last two weekends of April.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
