CAF Confederation Cup: Julien Mette backs Tusker to finish the job against Al Ahli

Tusker coach Julien Mette has warned his players that lapses in concentration could cost them a place in the CAF Confederation Cup second preliminary round when they face Al Ahli Wad Madani on Saturday.

The Kenyan Premier League side will welcome the Sudanese outfit to Nairobi’s Nyayo Stadium for the decisive second-leg encounter, with the tie finely poised after a 2-2 draw in the first meeting in Rwanda.

Mette demands concentration

Mette believes Tusker must eliminate the mistakes that allowed Wad Madani to twice find the net in the first leg and has challenged his players to show greater discipline.

“We have to learn from what happened in the first leg. Football at this level punishes you when you lose concentration, and we cannot afford to repeat those mistakes,” Mette said ahead of the game as quoted by Mozzart Sport.

The Frenchman does not want his team approaching the return leg with the intention of protecting a particular result.

Instead, he expects the Brewers to impose themselves on the game, control proceedings and secure the victory needed to advance.

“We don’t want to play for a particular score. We want to play our football, control the game and win. That is the mentality we need if we want to go far in this competition.”

Mette has also stressed the importance of collective responsibility as Tusker seek to make their home advantage count.

“We have prepared well, and we have enough ammunition to deal with them. I told all the players that when we go onto that pitch, it is not all about Abud; it is all of us.

“If I cannot score a free-kick, someone else needs to step up and score. It’s a team and a collective responsibility.”

Four-year CAF return

The encounter represents a significant moment for Tusker, who are back in continental competition after a four-year absence.

The Brewers last competed in CAF competition during the 2021/22 campaign, when they reached the Confederation Cup play-off round before being eliminated by Tunisia’s CS Sfaxien.

Tusker will now hope to go further this time, beginning with overcoming Wad Madani on home soil.

The club also has a rich history in African competition. Competing as Kenya Breweries FC in 1994, Tusker reached the final of the African Cup Winners’ Cup, establishing one of the club’s most notable continental achievements.

Dynamos face Merreikh test

Elsewhere in the CAF Champions League, Power Dynamos coach Oswald Mutapa believes his side have enough quality to overturn a 1-0 first-leg deficit against Al Merreikh of Sudan.

The Zambian champions must win at home to keep their continental campaign alive, and Mutapa is demanding a much stronger start after his team struggled during the opening stages of the first meeting.

“It will be a tough game, like all games have been, but I think we have the human resource. We are down one zero but not out, we have 90 minutes to get the result that we need,” said Mutapa.

“In the first leg, we started slowly in the first 15-20 minutes but this will be another day, another game and I think focus is there.”

He added: “We know what we are expected to do, so we need to start as a house on fire, we are playing home and if we need the result from the first whistle, we have to stamp our authority on the game.”

Mutapa says progression could also have wider implications for Zambian football, with the country pushing for four continental slots.

“A very important game for the team, for the fans and for the country at large. We are pushing for the four slots to be given to Zambia depending on the progression of Dynamos and Red Arrows.

“That is why it is even more important that we get the result that is needed and the result is to qualify to go to the next round.”

Zambia’s Red Arrows carry a 2-0 advantage into their trip to Madagascar to face FC Rouge, with the winners set to meet South African giants Kaizer Chiefs in the second preliminary round.

Clubs eliminated during the preliminary rounds will receive a USD 100,000 solidarity payment from CAF, while the eventual Confederation Cup champions will earn USD 4 million.