Jeunesse Sportive de Kabylie (JSK) will host AS Vita Club this Friday in the opening match of Group D in the CAF Champions League. The Kabyle Canaries are eager to make a strong start at home against the Congolese side, aiming to assert themselves early in the competition. JSK coach Hubert Velud emphasized the importance of preparation and focus ahead of the clash with the Black Dolphins of Kinshasa.
“The preparation is going well and we worked a lot on Monday and Tuesday. We will go into a training camp on Wednesday evening to allow the players to maintain their focus. As for the squad, Souyed is suspended, but I think everyone else is available. Bencherifa has also returned from injury,” Velud stated, according to competition.dz.
The match will take place at the November 1st Stadium in Tizi-Ouzou, which has recently been approved for Champions League fixtures after an inspection by CAF’s committee found no irregularities. Velud welcomed the decision, noting the advantage of playing on familiar turf. “Playing at home in Tizi-Ouzou is a big plus. It’s true that it took us a while to get the decision, but for us it’s very good news,” he said.
The coach also highlighted the importance of having the supporters back in the stands after their absence during previous league matches due to a suspension. Velud believes their presence can inspire the team and serve as an extra advantage in securing a positive result. “Very happy to finally be back in front of our fans. Our supporters will help us a lot and honestly we suffered a lot without them. We’ve been playing without our fans for two months and it really isn’t easy. We’re going to try to get inside the players’ heads to inspire them and it’s up to us to take advantage of our extra asset, which is our fans, to win the match,” he added.
JSK enters Group D alongside Raja Casablanca, Espérance de Tunis, and AS Vita Club. With a tough group ahead, the Kabyle Canaries are determined to start their Champions League campaign on a strong note, using the support of their home crowd and a focused squad to challenge the Congolese visitors.
