CAF Confed Cup weekend preview - Club Africain, TP Mazembe favoured to advance

by Graeme Jackson

Friday Oct 20, 2017. 10:00

The 2017 CAF Confederation Cup finalists will be decided this weekend, with Tunisia’s Club Africain and DR Congo’s TP Mazembe well positioned in their respective ties.

CA are locked at 1-1 with South Africa’s SuperSport United after the first leg in Tshwane earlier in the month, and the North Africans know that a clean sheet will guarantee them a place in the final based on the strength of Saber Khalifa’s away goal.

Yet United have proven their potency away from home already in this competition, notably drawing 2-2 at Zambia’s Zesco United in the previous round - a repeat of that would be enough to out them into the final.

Africain are looking to return to the Confed Cup final for the first time since losing to Morocco’s MAS Fez in 2011, while SuperSport - who recently won South Africa’s MTN8 cup - are looking to qualify for a first continental final.

The other semifinal sees defending champions TP Mazembe take a 1-0 lead to Rabat for their match with Morocco’s FUS. The DR Congo giants have the advantage thanks to Ben Malango’s early goal in Lubumbashi earlier in the month.

The home side will look to overturn the deficit and book a place in the final for the first time since they won the title in 2010, while Mazembe are aiming to become the first back-to-back champions since CS Sfaxien won successive Confed Cups in 2007 and 2008.

The two aggregate winners will meet in the final, with the first leg set for November 17-19 and the return on November 24-26.

CAF Confederation Cup weekend fixtures
Semifinal, second leg matches, all times CAT. Aggregate score in parenthesis.

Saturday 21 October
FUS Rabat v TP Mazembe (0-1)
Stade de FUS, Rabat, 22h30

Sunday 22 October
Club Africain v SuperSport United (1-1)
Olympic Stadium, Rades, 20h00