AS Vita, who host Morocco’s Raja Casablanca in Kinshasa this evening, are retaining a glimmer of hope to overturn a 3-0 first-leg deficit after being outplayed in a night to forget in Casablanca last week.
The away defeat was a bitter reminder of the team’s attacking frailties which almost cost them in the semi-final when they were held to a goalless draw by an all attacking Al Masry of Egypt in the first leg, only to beat them 4-0 at home.
They failed to net an away goal against Raja though and will be cautious not to ship any more goals that would render their mission almost impossible at Kinshasa’s 60,000-seat Stade de Martyr’s.
Vita’s experienced coach Florent Ibenge has said it will be entirely a different affair from the first leg as they are keen to break the jinx in Africa, having last claimed silverware on the continent in 1973.
“A match is never the same,” Ibenge told Foot.cd
“But we have seen in history scenarios that have redefined themselves in another way. Let’s hope and work to show another image better than the first leg.”
Ibenge was the coach at the Vita when they lost the 2014 Caf Champions League and will be looking not to miss his first continental silverware with Vita.
The Black Dolphins are having a strong season as they are fourth in the Congolese Super League after claiming five wins from their seven matches so far.
Striker Jean-Marc Makusu has been the stand out player for Vita in the competition having scored 10 goals so far and he is expected to start in attack on alongside Ducapel Moloko.
Vita will be boosted by huge fan support against Raja. Many supporters posted pictures of themselves on social media holding signs that read: “We can do it”.
Feet on ground
Raja Casablanca are taking nothing for granted despite their comfortable lead, with coach Juan Carlos Garrido keeping his feet on the ground ahead of what he described as the biggest match for his team.
A triumph for Raja would boost morale for the entire squad as they are currently on position 10 in the Moroccan League having claimed just two wins from five matches.
Should they wrap up the triumph, it would be the Green Eagles’ second trophy in the Confederation Cup, having won their first in 2003 when the competition was still known as the CAF Cup.
Their Spaniard coach Garrido has notified his charges they should not expect an easy game in Kinshasa.
“We need to concentrate on the next match. That match is going to be huge….That match is definite.”
Garrido must make at least one change to the first-leg starting side with Moroccan colossus Soufiane Rahimi set to replace suspended forward Mouhssine Lajour, who was shown red card late in the second half.
The much-travelled coach will be bidding for his own piece of history by becoming the first ever coach to win the Confederation Cup with two clubs after also bagging it with Al Ahly four seasons ago.
On head-to-head record, As Vita and Raja have previously met three times with the wins evenly split at one apiece. It should be remembered that they featured in the same group during the round robin stage of the competition as the Congolese outfit earned a goalless draw in Morocco before claiming a 2-0 win at home in the reverse fixture.
The aggregate winners will not only claim the Confederation Cup trophy but also advance into the CAF Super Cup match against Champions League winners Esperance de Tunis.
