Congolese coach Florent Ibenge has vowed that his charges will not underestimate the threat posed by Orlando Pirates ahead of Friday night’s Caf Confederation Cup final in Uyo, Nigeria. The two sides have thrilled football fans since the start of the competition culminating in the final that kicks off at 1900 at the Godswill Akpabio International Stadium.
Berkane defeated the DR Congo side 4-2 on aggregate to reach the final, and Ibenge, a former national team coach of DR Congo, admitted that a difficult match awaits after monitoring the style of play of Pirates.
“The preparations were only to restore physical strength after the TP Mazembe match,” Ibenge said at the pre-match press conference in Uyo on Thursday.
“We did well to read the game against TP Mazembe, and we avoided rushing and tried to tire the opponent’s players, which paid off.
“For this match, we have reviewed tapes of the Orlando Pirates team to study the strengths and weaknesses of the South African team.”
Ibenge has praised the standard of the Morocco league, insisting it helps clubs excel when they play in Africa.
“The league competition is strong in Morocco, especially for the third place that qualifies for the Confederation Cup. But we seek to win the league trophy so that we do not enter into the strong fight for the third place in the league,” he revealed.
“Morocco is a good training centre for coaches. With regard to the vast academies in the country, they are important for discovering new players and even in the other aspects of the game so that we can find the best sports doctors or competencies in other fields from them.”
Meanwhile, Berkane player Sofiane Elmodane said the players are aware that playing against Orlando Pirates will not be easy, but they are focused on winning the title.
“I am proud and eager to play in the final. It is not over, and we must crown our efforts by winning the African title,” Elmodane concluded.
