AZAM FC jetted off yesterday for Tunis, Tunisia ready to take on their opponents Espérance Sportive de Tunis in the CAF Confederation Cup second round return leg match on Tuesday.
Reports from the Tunisia Football Federation (TFF) said the match kick off will be delayed for an hour at the Stade Olympique de Radès in Tunis. Initially, the match kick off time was 18h00 but CAF has decided the kick off time to be 19h00. However, there was no reason behind mentioned for the kick off delay.
Azam take to Tunis their 2-1 victory over Esperances in the first leg match held in Dar es Salaam last Sunday. The ‘ice cream makers’ left with a positive frame of mind to prove that their victory was not a fluke.
“We're playing against a good team which is placed third in the club continental rankings released recently, while my side is placed on number 345,” said Azam FC head coach Stewart Hall.
The Briton tactician told the club’s official website that people must recognise that Azam face a difficult task ahead, but insisted that they have a chance to develop from the good work they did at home for them to progress into the next stage.
He knows that his charges will face pressure from the kick off but said they will attack from the onset in an attempt to score an early goal. Skipper John Bocco, defender Erasto Nyoni and midfielder Salum Aboubakar, who were injured, are back in the squad after recovering and they are expected to be available for selection.
However, the bad news is that dependable central back Serge Pascal Wawa and forward Kipre Tchetche missed the trip to Tunis as they are still nursing injuries. The duo join fullback Shomari Kapombe in injury list.
Meanwhile, Rwanda head coach Johnny McKinstry believes Azam will need an away goal in Tunisia if they are to advance in the 2016 CAF Confederation Cup. The Tanzania outfit face Esperance de Tunis in a Confederation Cup second round, second-leg fixture in Rades later this month, with the aggregate winner advancing to the play-offs. Azam scored two goals in as many minutes to secure a 2-1 win in Dar es Salaam on the 10th of April.
"Esperance are very experienced at this level," McKinstry said in an interview with Soka360. "It is still very tight, 2-1 in the first leg, but now they have got to go to Tunisia and try and finish the job. That won’t be easy. “I think if they can go and get a goal in Tunisia then they can qualify. I think going to Tunisia and trying to keep it 0-0 is very dangerous.
"If they can get an away goal to match Esperance’s away goal they have got every chance of qualifying, I don’t see Azam conceding two or three goals." Esperance are two-time CAF Champions League winners, having lifted the coveted trophy in 1994 and 2011.
In another development, following their 2-1 win over Tunisia's Esperance in their CAF Confederation Cup first leg match on Sunday, Azam FC winger Farid Mussa is confident they can repeat the feat on the road.
Speaking to the club's official website, Mussa admitted that it was not an easy task for them to beat Esperance and will now have to work even harder. The 19-year-old scored the equaliser in the 69th minute before Ramadhan Singano's winner a minute later. Mussa also acknowledged the quality of the Tunisia outfit, saying they have great experience in the tournament.
