Solomon Ogbeide, the coach of Lobi Stars has boasted that the Makurdi club is not scared of any opponent in the group stage of the 2018 CAF Champions League.
The draw for the group stage will be done on Friday at the CAF secretariat in Cairo, Egypt. Lobi will be drawn along with 15 other clubs into groups of four teams each.
Lobi needed the away goals rule to progress to the group stage ahead of Kenyan opponents Gor Mahia after they followed a 3-1 loss in Nairobi with a 2-0 win in Enugu in the first round.
The other teams in the draw are TP Mazembe of DR Congo, Egyptian giants Al-Ahly and Ismaily, Tunisian side Esperance and Club Africain, Morocco’s Wydad Casablanca, South African sides Mamelodi Sundowns and Orlando Pirates, Horoya of Guinea, ASEC Mimosas of Ivory Coast, Algerian sides CS Constantine and JS Saoura, Tanzanian side Simba, AS Vita of DR Congo and FC Platinum of Zimbabwe.
Ogbeide, who attributed their qualification to the group stage of the competition to hard work, said the team would take each match as a cup final at this stage of the competition.
“At this stage, every team in the competition have equal chances and we are not afraid to be drawn with any club. The competition is getting tougher with each match we play but for us to be champions, we have to win the tough games,” he said.
“All the teams in the draw will be tough to play but they won’t find us easy too because we all have the same chances.
“In football,the blame and credit dished out by fans are almost in equal proportions. A coach takes the credit and the blame if a team does well or otherwise. That is why I have been telling the players that they can do it. Their names will always be remembered as the representatives who did well for their country.
“To reach this stage, we have played some tough matches and lost some too. We have to keep the spirit up so that we can achieve our goal.”
Credit: punchng.com
