ASEC Mimosas set group-stage target but Julien Chevalier wary of ASCK challenge

ASEC Mimosas will begin their CAF Champions League campaign against ASCK in Lome on Sunday with a clear ambition, but coach Julien Chevalier has warned against any overconfidence.

The first-leg match in the first preliminary round is scheduled for 15:30 GMT, with the Ivorian club seeking to re-establish itself among Africa’s leading sides after missing last season’s continental campaign.

Chevalier used his pre-match news conference to make it clear that ASEC Mimosas’ immediate objective is to reach the group stage of the CAF Champions League. However, he was careful not to look too far beyond the opening tie against the Togolese champions.

“First, I want to reach the group stage. I didn’t get there last season and we need to find a way to return to the group stage. Last year we were very disappointed not to reach it, so we will first focus on this initial step. After that, there is nobody who would not like to win the Champions League. If we are capable of doing it, we will. Our objective is to show what we are capable of, and that starts with the preliminary round,” said Chevalier.

ASEC Mimosas’ longer-term aspiration is to compete for the trophy, but the club’s campaign must first be built through a series of qualifying hurdles. The visit to ASCK represents the first of those tests, and Chevalier’s comments reflected a determination to deal with the challenge in stages.

The ASEC Mimosas manager also declined to be distracted by the confidence expressed by the ASCK camp ahead of the tie. Nor did he place undue emphasis on the memory of ASEC’s 2-1 defeat in Lome in 2024.

Instead, Chevalier said his attention was firmly fixed on his own players and on the demands of the match itself. He also responded with a touch of irony to the confident mood surrounding ASCK and the comments of his opposite number, Yelato Silue.

Chevalier acknowledged that Silue’s confidence had, in fact, been useful during ASEC’s preparations for the contest.

“He helped me prepare for this match,” Chevalier said.

That exchange adds an intriguing edge to Sunday’s meeting, with both camps approaching the tie from contrasting positions. ASCK will have home advantage in Lome, while ASEC Mimosas arrive with the stated aim of taking an important step towards a return to the CAF Champions League group stage.

The opening match of the two-legged preliminary-round tie will therefore be played against a backdrop of confidence from the Togolese side and restraint from Chevalier. For ASEC Mimosas, the priority is straightforward: avoid being drawn into premature talk of winning the competition and concentrate on overcoming ASCK.