Lobi Stars defender Solomon Kwambe expects a tough CAF Champions League group stage encounter against Mamelodi Sundowns on Friday evening.
The Nigeria champions begin their continental group stage campaign at home against the South Africa giants, and Kwambe reveals that Stars are determined to grab all three points.
“Of course, we know so much about Mamelodi Sundowns and they are a team that we can’t take for granted because of their reputation,” the 25-year-old Kwambe told CAFOnline.
“Just on Saturday, we saw their game when they beat Kaizer Chiefs 2-1 in their domestic league match and that means we must prepare very well playing against them; especially since this is our first game in the group stage.”
“It is important for us to win this particular encounter against Mamelodi Sundowns to boost our confidence because we have two other strong teams in our group; a win will be a good start for us and we can build upon it for our other matches.”
Lobi Stars is currently coached by former Nigeria international and Lobi Stars’ Team Manager, Barnabas Imenger, who has thanked fans and government for their support ahead of the match.
“Of course, we at Lobi Stars go into every game with the objective to win either we are at home or away,” Imenger who played in the 1990s for the Super Eagles told CAFOnline.
“The match on Friday against Mamelodi Sundowns would not be different; we respect them as former African champions but our priority is to take the three points.
Mamelodi Sundowns is under experience trainer Pitso Mosimane, who has hinted that their plan is to win all the home matches for them to have the chance of making it to the next round of the competition.
“The most important thing in the Champions League is winning at home,” Mosimane reportedly said on the club’s website. “You must also make sure that in the three games away; you at least get two draws. If you do that, you’re guaranteed qualification in the knockout stage.”
“The best thing you can do is winning at home. We have to win at home. With how our games are structured, we’re going to play Wydad in our last match of the group. You don’t want to get to that match needing to get a result.”
“You have to do what you need to do as early as possible. You’ve got to have a good start and hit the ground running with your home games,” he explained.”
Group A’s other game this Friday involves Wydad Casablanca and ASEC Mimosas of Cote d’Ivoire which will take at the Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium in the Moroccan capital, Rabat.
Another CAF Champions League match tonight will have Guinean side Horoya AC hosting defending champions Esperance Sportive du Tunis at the September 28 Stadium in Conakry.
The day will end with a Group C game between Club Africain of Tunisia and Algerian side CS Constantine. The match will come up at the Olympic Stadium in Sousse, Tunisia.
Lobi Stars’ game against Mamelodi Sundowns will be officiated by respected Egyptian referee Ghehad Grisha and will be televised live on SuperSport 4 for African viewers from Enugu.
