Medeama SC head coach Ibrahim Tanko says his side remains confident of overturning their first-leg deficit when they face TP Mazembe in the second leg of the CAF Champions League preliminary round in Lubumbashi on Saturday.
The Ghanaian side suffered a narrow 1-0 defeat in the first leg in Tarkwa, leaving them with a difficult task in the return fixture.
Speaking at the pre-match press conference, Tanko acknowledged the quality and tactical discipline of TP Mazembe, particularly the approach they adopted in the first encounter.
“They play very well. Their organisation was very good,” Tanko said.
He explained that playing the first leg away from home required Mazembe to be cautious and rely on a tactical approach that allowed them to absorb pressure and look for opportunities on the counter-attack.
“Definitely, if you are going away in the first leg, you have to plan something. Then you wait for us and try to counter, and it worked for them,” he added.
Despite the result, Tanko believes his team created enough opportunities in Tarkwa and could have produced a completely different outcome had they converted their chances.
“But I think, like I said, a lot of chances that we created, if we had scored, then it would have been a very different game altogether,” he said.
The coach, however, remains respectful of the Congolese giants and believes both teams possess the quality to make the second leg an intriguing contest.
“I think they have the quality and we also have quality. So, let’s see what will happen tomorrow,” Tanko concluded.
With TP Mazembe holding a slender 1-0 advantage, Tanko’s side will need to score in Lubumbashi while keeping Mazembe at bay if they are to progress to the next stage of the CAF Champions League.
The second leg is set for a 2:00 pm kick-off in Lubumbashi.
