By MOSES CHIMFWEMBE –
GUINEAN side, AS Kaloum yesterday jetted into Ndola, five days before the epic clash against Zesco United with coach Francois Zahoui confident of upsetting the Zambian champions in Saturday’s CAF Champions League first round, first leg tie.
Meanwhile, Zesco coach George Lwandamina has rallied his troops in readiness for the clash against Kaloum after their weekend’s Samuel ‘Zoom’ Ndhlovu Charity Shield triumph.
Kaloum, who progressed to the first round after dumping out Ivory Coast’s Sewe Sport with a 3-1 aggregate score, arrived at the Simon Mwansa Kapwepwe International Airport yesterday morning.
Zahoui, who was at the helm of the Ivory Coast squad that lost to Zambia in the 2012 Africa Cup of Nations final, predicted a tough encounter against Zesco but that his Kaloum side was determined to go back home with a positive result.
“All the CAF games are very difficult but we are very determined even though the game will be tough. We don’t really know much about Zesco United but the fact that they qualified to this stage shows that the team is good,” Zahoui said.
He said his squad does not feel any pressure of playing away from home and that his players were geared for the Zesco challenge.
Zahoui, who took charge of Kaloum last month, said he had quality in his team that was capable of winning on foreign soils.
“We will be very cautious of playing away from home but our focus is to get a good result here, going into the second leg and we are confident that we will handle Zesco’s pressure. As you know Champions League football is not easy but we are very prepared to face any team,” Zahoui said.
Captain Ben Adama said Kaloum were not in Zambia merely to fulfill the CAF fixture but to go back home with an advantage.
“We are lucky that the first leg for us is away from home. However, in modern football there is no home advantage because football is the same everywhere.
“We are not here to defend but to play our usual game like we have always done to reach this far and every player is confident of producing a positive result. All the players in the team are focused and we are ready to face Zesco,” Adama,who will be facing Zesco for the second time having previously travelled to Ndola with Ivorian club, Africa Sport in 2009, said.

. Mumba

Zesco secretary Justin Mumba, who was at the airport to welcome the Guinean delegation, told journalists that his side would not take Kaloum lightly because the West African team was experienced.
The Ndola outfit had training sessions yesterday and Mumba said the home leg tie was crucial for Zesco.
“Kaloum have an experienced coach and with a number of foreign players and it’s not a team that we need to take lightly. But I have always believed that Southern African football is all about skill and West African football is all about physical and so we need to take advantage of the skill.
“Zesco’s confidence levels are high. The sponsors have put in a lot and the challenge is on our side to deliver. We have been to the group stage before and so there is nothing that is impossible ahead of this clash and so we can rise to this challenge,” Mumba said.
The Zambian champions eliminated Mbabane Swallows via a 2-1 aggregate to progress to the first round stage.
Zesco will play the return leg against Kaloum in Bamako, Mali in a fortnight because of the Ebola virus epidemic in Guinea.