Tout Puissant Mazembe is set to face Esperance de Tunis on October 7 in a highly anticipated semi-final first leg of the African Club Champions League. The upcoming clash has already stirred discussions among key figures from both camps.
Moise Katoumbi, the president of Tout Puissant Mazembe, is exerting pressure on CAF and is contemplating the selection of referees for the match. He expressed his satisfaction, saying, “Our wish was to meet Esperance of Tunis this year. We are, therefore, very happy that the competition’s verdict granted our wishes. We simply hope that the African Confederation will appoint referees worthy of directing these two semi-finals, which should bring honor to African football. That’s all. And we have been preparing for it for some time.”
Meanwhile, the players from Mazembe are gearing up for the challenge against Esperance de Tunis. Given Singuluma, the double scorer of the 2010 first leg final between Mazembe and EST, shared, “Against Esperance, we will, as usual, undergo serious preparation during the three weeks preceding the semi-finals. And we will be there…”
On the Maghreb side, Esperance de Tunis aims to put behind the events of 2010 and is focused on retaining the trophy they won in 2011. Coach Nabil Maaloul emphasized the team’s determination, stating, “Espérance is currently one of the best teams on the continent, and we intend to continue our path towards the sacred. TP Mazembe? We have seen that teams traveling to Congo are being mishandled, except for Berekum Chelsea, and that is why we must stay focused and attack this semi-final with the necessary rigor and seriousness.”
It’s worth noting that in 2010, the two teams faced off in the final, with TP Mazembe winning the first leg against Esperance 5-0, an outcome marked by incidents at the end of the match.
[Note: The provided YouTube link appears to be invalid or incomplete, preventing me from accessing the referenced incident.]
