TP Mazembe faced a significant challenge in their pursuit of the 2013 CAF Cup trophy as they suffered a 0-2 defeat against CS Sfaxien in Radès this Saturday. The Congolese club now finds itself in a difficult position and must mount a comeback in the return match scheduled for a week later. Despite the setback, the team’s coach, Patrice Carteron, remains optimistic about reversing the situation.
“After the match, I thought the cup was already lost when I saw the CSS players taking their lap of honor. Our opponent, with quality player Ben Youssef, made the difference. We couldn’t match them tonight, but I hope we’ll be able to do so next week at home,” Carteron expressed during a post-match press conference. The French coach also expressed his intention to draw inspiration from a recent remarkable turnaround: “France’s feat against Ukraine? We will try to take inspiration from it. With this deficit in the first leg, we have to deliver an extraordinary performance to make an impact.”
This reference to France’s achievement pertains to their 3-0 victory against Ukraine on Tuesday, securing qualification for the 2014 World Cup after losing 0-2 in the first leg.