Orange CAF Champions League finals 1st leg
AS Vita Club (DRC) Vs ES Sentif (Algeria)
Sunday October 26, 2014
Stade des Martyrs, Kinshasa
Uganda Cranes striker Yunus Sentamu is out to make history when his club AS Vita Club hosts Algeria’s ES Setif in the first leg of the 2014 Orange CAF Champions league at Stade des Martyrs in Kinshasa.
Sentamu; scorer of two goals enroute to the finals including one against Tunisia’s CS Sfaxien has called upon fans to back the team and promised to show more of what he can do in the finals.
“I call upon all our fans to back us then and let them expect the best from me, but its all about God
AS Vita Club last featured in the finals of this competition in 1981 but were winners in 1973 while ES Setif have also won the competition just once in 1988.
With the return leg set next weekend, Sentamu and company know that getting a good result at home in the first leg will be vital.
Vita Club coach Florent Ibenge labelled Algerians Setif a “very dangerous team” ahead of the first leg as quoted by Ahram.online sports
Our opponents have a strong defence and fast, dangerous strikers. Scoring twice away to (Congolese) TP Mazembe in the semi-finals was a special achievement.
This is a tricky mission for us – we have to attack and build a first-leg lead while being ever watchful of the counter-attacking skills of Setif.
I believe our supporters can play a crucial role as they have done in previous games, encouraging us when we are on top and also when we are not in control.
His opposite number Setif coach Kheireddine Madoui says the away-goal triumph over four-time champions Mazembe has given his squad the belief that they can conquer Africa.
It was difficult away to Mazembe – we stayed in a two-star hotel, we faced threatening supporters, and one of our officials sprained an ankle after clashing with stewards.
But my players displayed incredible spirit in Lubumbashi, refusing to panic when trailing 3-1 and scoring the late goal that took us to the final.
No one expected Setif to overcome Mazembe, nor did they expect us to eliminate Cameroonians Coton Sport in a qualifier or Tunisians Esperance in the group stage.
The winner over two legs will walk away with prize money worth $1.5 million but will also grab a place at the 2014 FIFA Club World Cup in Morocco during December with millions more dollars up for grabs.
No Ugandan club has won this competition but Simba in 1972 and SC Villa in 1991 were runners up.
