Asec Mimosas coach, Chevalier content with vital point away from home
Julien Chevalier says a point away from home is just as important in a tough competition such as the TotalEnergies CAF Confederation Cup.
Chevalier was speaking after his side, Asec Mimosas were held to a goalless draw by their less fancied opponents, Orapa United who are making their debut in the group stages of the competition.
The Ivorians are tied on four points with USM Alger who also managed to secure a point away from home against Jaraaf in Dakar on Sunday evening.
Speaking from the Francistown Stadium in Botswana, the former Togo national team assistant coach said a point away from home was better than nothing and spurs them on in their remaining Group C matches.
“We wanted three points today, but we managed one, which gives us four points. It’s better than nothing, and we’ll see how things unfold in our remaining games. We’ll analyse today’s performance and prepare for our next tough encounter against a strong team. The weather conditions will also be different, but we’re ready for the challenge,” said Chevalier.
Up next for the Ivorian giants is a trip to Algiers where they will be battling for the top spot position against USM Alger on Sunday, 15 December.
Meanwhile, Orapa United coach, Tiiso Gadimang urged his nation to keep rallying behind the team as having them as the 12th man was key for them on Sunday in securing a point against a quality side like Mimosas.
“Getting a point today is really important for us, and we are happy with the draw. Our challenge now is managing travel for the local league and then back to Francistown for our CAF Confederation Cup match on Sunday. It’s not easy as our players are already fatigued, but we’ll give our best. I urge Batswana to come in large numbers and support us as their support means a lot to us, you see we managed a draw because of them” said Gadimang.