CAFCC: Ibenge confident Azam will prevail over ‘experienced’ Wydad AC

Azam FC head coach Florent Ibenge has discussed their readiness to face experienced Wydad AC in their final group fixture of the CAF Confederation Cup on Sunday.

After a poor start to their campaign, the Ice Cream Makers have gone ahead to win their last three matches and haul a total of nine points which has seen them stay third in Group B.

 

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Azam had lost their matchday one 2-0 away to AS Maniema of DR Congo, and returned home to lose 1-0 against Wydad on matchday two. However, they changed gear to win matchday three – a 2-1 win against Nairobi United.

The Tanzanian Premier League outfit returned home to seal a double over the promoted Kenyan side with a 1-0 win. Azam’s qualification to the knockout stage for the first time in history was further boosted with a 1-0 home win against Maniema.

Azam must keep the ball and dominate

“We started slowly in this competition, and even in our first game in Zanzibar against (Wydad), we played very well, and deserved to win, but we lost. We scored a clean goal but the referee refused to give us,” Ibenge told Pan-Africa Football.

“If we play like we did in the first game of the group stage, then we will beat Wydad. We have learnt that Wydad are not better than us. The first round meeting, they won 1-0, and they scored from the only chance they created.

“We know we are going to play against a very tough opponent, as much as they were not good enough in Zanzibar, they beat us. It was a learning lesson. We have to dominate the ball, we have to be alert, and make sure we don’t give balls away.

“In Zanzibar, Wydad had Nordin (Amrabat), and now they have Wissam Ben Yedder, they have brought in Hakimi (Ziyech), so they have added experience to their squad. We are going to face an improved side than it was in Zanzibar, and we have to be very careful.”

Azam have so far garnered nine points

The win against Maniema lifted Azam to nine points from five matches, drawing them level with second-placed Maniema Union and setting up a dramatic finale to the group stage.

Wydad are currently sitting top of Group B with 12 points, Maniema Union are second with nine points from five matches, while Azam occupy third place on the same number of points after five games.

Nairobi United have already been eliminated and remain bottom of the group without a single point.