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| Final instructions... Bantu coach James Madidilane (centre) |
Bantu
coach James Madidilane says A Matšo
Matebele are aiming to make history by becoming the first Lesotho team to
make it past the preliminary stage of CAF Champions League in almost two
decades when they face Swaziland’s Mbabane Swallows on Sunday.
In
December, the Lesotho champs were drawn to face Swaziland champions Mbabane Swallows
in the preliminary round of the competition.
The
first leg will be played at Setsoto Stadium on Sunday with the return leg on
February 21 in the Swazi capital, Mbabane.
Sunday’s
tie will be A Matšo Matebele’s second
appearance in the Champions League in club history. Their first was in 2015
when the Mafeteng giants were beaten 1-0 on aggregate by Gabon’s AS Mangasport
at the same stage.
Looking
ahead to Sunday’s Champions League opener, Madidilane called Mbabane Swallows a
“fair draw”.
“It
is a fair draw for us instead of getting the likes of Al Ahly and TP Mazembe so
I think we can do better. This is a chance for us to change things (and qualify
for the next round) and I believe we can do that”. Madidilane said.
The
last time a Lesotho team won a Champions League tie was in 2002 when LDF beat Botswana’s
Mogoditshane Fighters 2-1 on aggregate to progress to the first round.
Madidilane
said Bantu’s objective is to match LDF’s exploits, at least.
“Our
target is to go beyond the first stage and we know it is not going to be easy
as it going to take a lot of commitment from everyone involved,” he said.
He
continued: “(Mbabane Swallows’) standard of football is not that different from
ours but we will not undermine them because they are obviously a good team. The
fact that they won their league means they worked hard and so we have to
respect them.”
The
Mafeteng giants have been looking forward to their outing into Africa since
they were crowned league champions last May. Their preparations have included
several friendly games against South African clubs.
According
to Madidilane, Sunday’s first leg is crucial for Bantu’s prospects in the tie.
“We
are starting at home and we just need to avoid conceding to save ourselves the
pressure in the return fixture,” he said.
If A
Matšo Matebele successfully navigate their way past Mbabane Swallows, they
will face Zambia’s Zanaco or Gambia Armed Forces in the first round.
Lesotho in the
CAF Champions League since 2000:
2017:
CAPS United (Zimbabwe) 2-1 Lioli
2016:
Vital’O (Burundi) 2-2 Lioli (Vital’O won
on away goals)
2015:
AS Mangasport (Gabon) 1-0 Bantu
2014:
Primeiro de Agosto (Angola) 3-2 Lioli
2013:
Dynamos (Zimbabwe) 3-1 LCS
2012:
URA (Uganda) 3-0 LCS
2011:
SuperSport United (South Africa) 3-2
Matlama
2010:
Did
not take part
2009:
Did
not take part
2008:
Platinum Stars (South Africa) 4-1 LCS
2007:
Zanaco (Zambia) 1-0 Likhopo
2006:
Mamelodi Sundowns (South Africa) 4-0
Likhopo
2005:
CAPS United (Zimbabwe) 8-4 LDF
2004:
Orlando Pirates (South Africa) 7-0
Matlama
2003:
Did
not take part
2002: (Preliminary round) Mogoditshane Fighters
(Botswana) 1-2 LDF, (First
round) TP Mazembe (DR Congo) 3-1 LDF
2001:
Did
not take part
2000:
(Preliminary round) AS Fortior (Madagascar)
0-0 LDF (LDF won penalties), (First round) Mamelodi Sundowns (South Africa) 6-2
LDF
2018
African Champions League draw:
First
Round:
St George (Ethiopia) v Al Salam (South
Sudan)
CNaPS (Madagascar) v Kampala Capital
City Authority (Uganda)
Zanaco (Zambia) v Gambia Armed Forces
(Gambia)
Bantu
(Lesotho) v Mbabane Swallows (Swaziland)
Stade Malien (Mali) v Williamsville AC
(Ivory Coast)
Al Tahadi (Libya) v Aduana Stars (Ghana)
Entente Setif (Algeria) v Olympic Real
Bangui (Central African Republic)
Real Bamako (Mali) v MFM FC (Nigeria)
AS Otoho (Congo) v Mouloudia Alger
(Algeria)
AS Fan (Niger) v Horoya (Guinea)
Generation Foot (Senegal) v Misr Makassa
(Egypt)
Young Africans (Tanzania) v St Louis
(Seychelles)
Township Rollers (Botswana) v Al Merreikh
(Sudan)
Gor Mahia (Kenya) v Leones Vegetarianos
(Equatorial Guinea)
ASAC Concorde (Mauritania) v Esperance
(Tunisia)
Plateau United (Nigeria) v Eding Sport
(Cameroon)
AC Leopards (Congo) v AS Port Lome
(Togo)
LISCR FC (Liberia) v Al Hilal (Sudan)
JKU SC (Zanzibar) v Zesco United
(Zambia)
Benin representative v Asec Abidjan
(Ivory Coast)
Ngaya Club (Comoros Islands) v UD Songo
(Mozambique)
DH El Jadidi (Morocco) v Benfica (Guinea
Bissau)
AS Vita Club (DR Congo) v Be Forward
Wanderers (Malawi)
Primeiro Agosto (Angola) v FC Platinum
(Zimbabwe)
Bidvest Wits (South Africa) v
Pamplemousse SC (Mauritius)
Rayon Sports (Rwanda) v Lydia Ludic
Burundi Academic (Burundi)
Second
Round:
St George or Al Salam v CNaPS or Kampala
Capital City Authority
Zanaco
or Gambia Armed Forces v Bantu or Mbabane Swallows
Wydad Casablanca (Morocco, holders) v
Stade Malien or Williamsville AC
Al Tahadi or Aduana Stars v Entente
Setif or Olympic Real Bangui
Al Ahly (Egypt) v CF Mounana or RC
Kadiogo
Real Bamako or MFM FC v AS Otoho or
Mouloudia Alger
AS Fan or Horoya v Generation Foot or
Misr Makassa
Young Africans or St Louis v Township
Rollers or Al Merreikh
Gor Mahia or Leones Vegetarianos v ASAC
Concorde or Esperance
Etoile Sahel (Tunisia) v Plateau United
or Eding Sport
AC Leopards or AS Port Lome v LISCR FC
or Al Hilal
JKU SC or Zesco United v Benin
representative or Asec Abidjan
TP Mazembe (DR Congo) v Ngaya Club or UD
Songo
DH El Jadidi or Benfica v AS Vita Club
or Be Forward Wanderers
Primeiro Agosto or FC Platinum v Bidvest
Wits or Pamplemousse SC
Mamelodi Sundowns (South Africa) v Rayon
Sports or Lydia Ludic Burundi Academic
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