Silver Strikers coach Etson Kadenge Mwafulirwa has likened their meeting with Young Africans Sports Club (Yanga SC) as an encounter between a man and a lion.
The Malawi champions’ mentor gave the analogy ahead of the CAF Champions League second preliminary round game against the Tanzanians at Bingu National Stadium on Saturday.
“We know the type of the team we will play against. They have got runners, mature, quality and experienced players, so we have to match them. We are very geared for the game,” he said.
Mwafulirwa then likened their assignment to an encounter with a lion.
He said any man faced with a lion chooses two options—whether to fight or flight, adding that Strikers have gone for the second option.
“In life, sometimes when walking you find that there is a lion so you have to decide whether to fight or flight. The moment you decide to fight, the nerves and hormones tell you to fight,” the coach explained.
“Our nerves are prepared to face them, but we have to be on top of our game. It is a disadvantage for us to play first at home but we will look at the positive side of it that we are starting at home. It is also an advantage because we have the 12th player.”
The delegation for Yanga arrived in Lilongwe on Thursday for the Champions League assignment.
The Tanzanian giants will host the return leg on October 28 in Dar es Salaam.
Silver advanced to the next qualifying stage of the continental league after seeing off Elgeco PLUS from Madagascar via an away goal rule after settling for a 1-1 aggregate score.
In the opposite camp, Yanga dismissed Wiliete FC from Angola 2-0 on aggregate.
⚽ Follow Pan-Africa Football across platforms for real-time news and stories.