Stanley Eguma, Rivers United head coach has given detailed insight on the team’s chances ahead of thier CAF Confederation’s Cup group stage game against Congolese team, Diables Noirs.
The tactician spoke about thier level of preparedness and how well they know thier opponent for better approach to the game tomorrow.
On what the competition means to him and the team;
‘For this competition, I’m aware it’s a CAF Confederation Cup match and the fixtures have been made, we are playing away from home first, it’s not our making and that’s okay.”
“Everyone has equal games to play both home and away, so we starting away is good for us, it doesn’t matter.”
On how well they know thier opponent;
“We know our opponent by thier names and we follow them as they are past perennial participants of this competition. They’ve been coming out most recent times and we don’t know much about them presently,” Eguma admitted.
“I do know that the fact that they have been in the competition in the past all the time makes us see them as a very strong side and one of the contenders in the group.”
“A lot of people think that the group is an easy one but with the likes of Diables Noirs of Congo, ASEC Mimosas of Côte d’Ivoire alongside DC Motema Pembe and Rivers United, you will know that it’s a strong group,” he buttressed.
“They are strong teams in thier various countries because Diables Noirs have always been in the competition likewise Motema Pembe and ASEC Mimosas are former champions, so they are very strong.”
Asked if they have any chances in the competition;
“I think we are the only underdog in the group but we are not a weak side. We have come here for a business, no pressure, we will just play our normal game.”
“Our ambition is to qualify from the group irrespective of whoever is our opponent but we will respect them, not that we are afraid.”
“No two matches are the same. Sometimes, you play a opponent and we score one goal to win.”
“There are times we have scored many goals, if you look at our recent performance in the Nigerian League, you’ll know that we broke the record in the league which no club has done in the past fifteen years.*
“We scored the highest number of goals and also got the highest goal scorer in the league, we’ve won the highest number of matches last season but now the league just started and we have just played some couple of matches.”
“We are Nigerian champions, we don’t have any alternative other than to give our best,” he concluded.
