Fathi wants to go all the way in the CAF Confederation Cup
By Augustine Mwanza | February 24, 2021
NAPSA Stars left it late to book their place in the group stage of the CAF Confederation Cup, The pensioners only needed a draw in the second league against Kenya champions, Gor Mahia blew the tie wide open in an unforgettable 94 minutes up until Jimmy Mukeya won a last-minute penalty which Emmanuel Mayuka scored to send Napsa through to the Group stage.
The Pensioners beat K’ogalo 1-0 thanks to a goal by Daniel Adoko in the 86th minute at the Nyayo international Stadium.
Head coach Mohamed Fathi believes there is no easy group after the pensioners were drawn against defending champions, RS Berkane in Group B.
“There is no easy group and there is no tough group in continental what we need is to work very hard, We know we are playing current champions, they have not been playing any games according to the new CAF regulations they just join in the group stage so they did not play any game but I follow them in the league and also I watched them in the final so we will prepare well. We will study the opponents and we will prepare,” Fathi said.
“I am not scared I don’t give too much respect to the opponent because if I respect the opponents too much I will lose the game so we will respect them in their history but in our game when the game starts we don’t respect anyone.”
“I know all the teams especially the Algerian team and the defending champions I know the teams very well and Cotton Sports also we have more information about them, they knocked out Green Eagles so we will research about Coton Sport but the other two teams I have more information about the Moroccan side and the Algerian side especially the Algerian side we know this team very well,” he added.
Fathi went on to reveal that qualification to the group stage is the target in his contract and that what will city me after now is just extra. The Egyptian-born gaffer is confident his team has gained enough experience to take into the group stage.
“I met the target in my contract (laughs) what’s coming extra it’s extra, my agreement with my boss is to try to take Napsa Stars to the group stage and I managed its not easy task but my vision is to take it to the end cause this is my last year at Napsa stars my contract ends this year I want to leave a legacy for the Club and we will see if I will continue or that will be the end,” he said.
“If you look at our players most of them don’t have experience in this competition but they gain experience game by game and tactically we are very sharp we look good. This is why we are now in the group stage because we know how to plan, we know how to read the game, and this is why we finished in the top four last season. We know how to plan, we know how to approach the game, so we do what we are doing all this time and we try to push Napsa stars forward like what I told you I want to finish on a high note its history for the club now but my vision is to push further in this competition up to the end, then see what God kept for us.”
The Pensioners have been drawn in Group B against North African opposition in Algerian side JS Kabylie and holders RS Berkane of Morocco at Lusaka’s Heroes Stadium. Cameroon side Coton Sport who complete group B will also make a return to Lusaka.