ES Sétif Prepare to Host TP Mazembe in Champions League Semi-Final First Leg
Entente Sportive de Sétif will welcome Congolese giants TP Mazembe this Saturday for the first leg of the CAF Champions League semi-finals. The Algerian side is determined to make a statement on home soil as they seek to overturn past disappointments.
Speaking ahead of the match, ES Sétif’s coach Kheireddine Madoui emphasized that his team is well-acquainted with their formidable opponents. “We met Mazembe last year. So we know the city, the stadium, the hotel, the team and its technical level,” Madoui told the official FIFA website. “We will try to take our revenge. It is a difficult match, where we will have to avoid defensive errors against a team with a lot of experience in the Champions League and who always show realism.”
The two sides have a history dating back to the 2013 CAF Champions League group stage, where Mazembe secured a 4-2 victory over ES Sétif, knocking the Algerian side out of the competition. That memory adds extra motivation for Madoui’s team ahead of the encounter.
However, the first leg will be played behind closed doors after the CAF Interclub Competitions Organizing Committee ordered ES Sétif to stage the match without spectators, a sanction imposed on the Algerian club.
Despite the absence of home fans, ES Sétif will rely on their tactical discipline and knowledge of Mazembe’s strengths to challenge the four-time CAF Champions League winners.
The match promises to be a tense and closely fought battle, with both sides vying for a crucial advantage in the two-legged semi-final.
