TotalEnergies CAF Champions League: Pre-match quotes from the coaches and players

Match Day 2 of the group stages of the TotalEnergies CAF Champions League officially gets underway on Friday, as the 16 remaining clubs continue their quest for a place in the knockout stages.

This is what some of the coaches and players had to say ahead of their respective matches.

 

Rivers United (Nigeria) vs RS Berkane (Morocco) | Group A

Mounie Chaabani - RS Berkane Coach

“Against Power Dynamos, we showed discipline and focus and were able to score the goals that we needed to start the group stage on a good note. We are happy about that.

“Tomorrow against Rivers United, it will be difficult because they are a disciplined team as well, from what they were able to show in holding the champions (Pyramids) to a scoreless first half last week. We will not underrate them at all.

“Our goal is to play our game and get a result here. It will be difficult but not impossible.”

 

Rayan Aabid - Berkane Player

“The fact that this is the first time we are playing on the pitch of Godswill Akpabio Stadium is not a challenge. We have played on similar turfs over the years and we can easily adapt.

“We respect Rivers United because they have been consistent in Africa over the past few years, but we will play our normal game, and we believe that will be good enough to get us a result.”

 

Finidi George – Rivers United 

“We owe it to our fans to rise up to the occasion and get a result against RS Berkane. We did well for 50 minutes against Pyramids and then lost concentration. We cannot afford to do that tomorrow.

“We have the players that can get the job done and I believe they will step up. The CAF Champions League is a big stage for any player and I believe they all realize and appreciate that.”

 

Temple Emekayi – Rivers United Player 

“Although we would have been happier playing in front of our own fans in Port Harcourt, this is a situation beyond us and we just have to make the best of it.

“It is incumbent on ourselves, the players, to rise from the defeat to Pyramids in Cairo and get a good result against RS Berkane on Friday. We will go in there and give our very best.”

Alexander Santos – AS FAR Coach

“We will remain to our playing identity, while knowing that we are facing a team capable of unsettling us at any moment. We will try to exploit the slightest weakness in our opponent, even though it is a very complete team, solid in every area of the game”.

 

Abdelfattah Hadraf – AS FAR Player

“We are ASFAR. With our history and our record of achievements, we feel capable of facing even Real Madrid. That is why we go into tomorrow’s match with a lot of confidence and the ambition to show the true face of our team.”

 

Jess Thorup – Al Ahly Coach

“Everybody is talking about pressure – from the media, from the public, from the atmosphere around the game. For me, the real pressure is on AS FAR, because they are at home and everyone expects a lot from them. At Al Ahly, we are used to this kind of environment; the more pressure we feel, the more it brings out the best in us. It pushes us to stay focused, to raise our level, and to show why this club has such a big history in African football.”

 

Mahmoud Hassan Trezeguet – Al Ahly Captain

“We have great respect for the referees and the difficult job they have to do, especially in big matches with a lot of emotions and intensity. Football is a game of very small details, and sometimes those details can change the momentum of a match in just one action”

 

Petro de Luanda (Angola) vs Esperance Sportive de Tunis (Tunisia)

 Frank Artiga – Petro de Luanda coach

"We going against a strong and historical African team whom we respect a lot. But we definitely going for a win as we want to be top by the break. The win against Simba was important but is part of the past. Tomorrow is what matters"

 

Maher Kenzari – Esperance Sportive de Tunis Coach

"A difficult match against a strong and quality opposition who's going to cause us problems. But we need to win and we going do everything for the 3 points. Against Stade was a bad day in the office but it won't definitely affect tomorrow's play"