USM Alger Prepare for Challenging Second Leg Against Eddifice Foulah in Champions League
USM Alger will travel to Chad for the second leg of their African Champions League preliminary round clash with Eddifice Foulah next Sunday. The Algerian side holds a comfortable 3-0 advantage after their dominant first-leg victory in Algiers, but coach Otto Pfister is cautious about the challenges they may face in Chad.
Despite the significant lead, the German coach has expressed concerns over the match conditions, particularly the extra-sporting factors that could affect his team’s performance. USM Alger will play the return leg at 2:00 p.m. local time, in the heat of the midday sun, which Pfister believes could have a detrimental effect on his players.
“We are going to play a special match. We will have to face very difficult extra-sporting parameters, which forces us to be very cautious,” Pfister commented, as reported by APS. “We will play at 2:00 p.m. local time, under a blazing sun which risks playing a bad trick on us. Also, we do not know if the synthetic pitch on which the match will take place will be good or not.”
The 3-0 victory in Algiers has given USM Alger a strong foothold in the tie, putting them in a promising position to progress to the next round. However, Pfister, a seasoned coach with experience managing African teams like Cameroon and Togo, is not taking anything for granted.
“Despite the advantage, we cannot afford to relax,” said the former Cameroon and Togo coach. “We know that anything can happen, and we must approach the second leg with the same focus and determination as in the first.”
USM Alger will aim to maintain their strong form and navigate the challenging conditions to secure their place in the next round of the competition.
