By MICHAEL MIYOBA and MUKWIMA CHILALA
NAPSA Stars’ quest to reach the group stages of the CAF Confederations Cup comes under scrutiny when the Mohamed Fathi drilled ‘Pensioners’ take on UD Songo in today’s second round preliminary fixture at National Heroes Stadium in Lusaka.
NAPSA Stars who reached this stage of the competition after thumping Ngazi FC from Comoros 9-2 on aggregate following a 4-1 win in the reverse fixture in Lusaka, will target maximum points to maintain a winning streak in the CAF Confederations Cup.
Fathi who is expecting a good result in today’s game said the team was ready having seen the retuyn of strikers Bornwlel Mwape and Tapson Kaseba from injury.
The Egyptian said NAPSA Stars’s target will be to score a lot of goals in the first leg to have a better chance of reaching the group stages of the competition.
“We need to finish the business at home before we travel to Mozambique, that is our target. Our approach will be the same we have to play attacking football and score as many goals as we can, if we secure a win with a lot of goals, it will help us in the away game,” Fathi said.
Fathi said the team’s poor run in the local Super Division where it is languishing in the relegation zone, will not have an impact on the Confederations Cup fixture against DO Songo.
Meanwhile, NAPSA Stars captain Dickson Chapa said the Pensioners are determined to do well in both the local league and the CAF Confederations Cup.
And UD Do Songo assistant coach Carlos Manuel said they want to get a positive result which will motivate them going into the second leg.
Manuel said DO Songo respects NAPSA Stars but his side is ready to fight for a win in Lusaka.
DO Songo captain John Banda from Malawi said they are not afraid of the Zambian envoys
