AS Vita Club Coach Florent Ibenge Stays Hopeful Despite 2–2 Home Draw Against ES Sétif
AS Vita Club head coach Florent Ibenge has admitted his disappointment following the 2–2 home draw against ES Sétif in the first leg of the CAF Champions League final, but remains optimistic ahead of the decisive return match in Algeria.
“We dominated this match and created a lot of chances. I also think that luck turned its back on us. It smiled on our opponent,” Ibenge told Radio Okapi. “The goal we conceded at the start of the match really disturbed us. I would even say it sawed our legs off.”
Despite being forced to come from behind twice, the Congolese side showed resilience. Ibenge, however, emphasized that reaching the final is proof of the quality of the opposition:
“I knew we would be facing strong opposition. The fact that the Sétif team is in the final means that they are a very good team.”
Looking ahead to the second leg in Blida, the AS Vita Club coach remains defiant and confident:
“We keep our chances of winning the trophy intact, and that is what we will do in Algiers. We will give it our all and play for everything to come home with the Cup.”
With everything still to play for, both teams will go into the return leg with high stakes and high hopes.
