CAFCC: AS Maniema Union coach Papy Kimoto sets clear benchmark

AS Maniema Union coach Papy Kimoto has outlined what they want to achieve during the group stages of the CAF Confederation Cup.

The Congolese outfit has been drawn in GroupB alongside Wydad Casablanca, Azam FC and debutants Nairobi United. Despite what looks like a tough draw, Kimoto insists Maniema wants to start fast at home before tackling long away trips in Morocco, Tanzania and Kenya.

AS Maniema’s ambition is to reach quarterfinals

“Our ambition is clear: to reach the quarterfinals,” Kimoto said as quoted by CAFOnline.com. “Last year, we narrowly missed qualification against Mamelodi Sundowns—an experience that taught us a lot and will help us approach this group phase better.”

He added: “We have two to three weeks to prepare well and be competitive. Now that we know the dates and the teams, we hope to start the competition at home.”

On what he is expecting from the group, he said: “I am really very happy—we now know our opponents for the group stage. These are very talented teams, each of whom earned their place—just like us.”

Kimoto concluded: “We will face an African giant: Wydad Athletic Club of Casablanca, a team we respect deeply. There will also be Azam, who, despite their first participation, are very well organised this year, and Nairobi, who have just eliminated Tunisian heavyweights Étoile du Sahel. These teams must be taken very seriously.

“We are motivated and ready to take on this challenge.”

Maniema will start their campaign with a home game against Azam.