Africain, SuperSport set for humdinger in Radès

by Phumzile Ngcatshe

Saturday Oct 21, 2017. 22:59

Club Africain and SuperSport United will battle for a place in the 2017 CAF Confederations Cup final, when they lock horns in a semifinal, second-leg showdown at the Stade Olympique de Radès on Sunday evening.

Kick-off is at 20h00 CAT.

The Tunisian outfit head into the clash with a distinct advantage, following a 1-1 draw in the reverse fixture at the Lucas Moripe Stadium in Atteridgeville earlier this month.

Thabo Mnyamane, who will miss the clash in Radès through injury, on target following Saber Khalifa's opener. The forward's fifth goal of the campaign as crucial as they come with the away strike set to prove pivotal in the outcome of the tie.

Both teams have set their sights on a first ever CAFCC crown, with SuperSport eyeing a maiden final appearance.

Club Africain reached the 2011 showpiece, but lost out to Moroccan outfit Maghreb de Fès.

Matsatsantsa head coach Eric Tinkler, though, has been involved in a CAFCC final before, as recent as 2015 when he came close to lifting the crown with Orlando Pirates.

The Buccaneers suffering a 2-1 defeat to Étoile du Sahel over two legs.

What SuperSport lack in experience, they are surely to make up for in confidence with the club having claimed the MTN8 trophy last weekend with a hard-fought win over Cape Town City.

In the wake of the success, Tinkler expressed that he wants his troops to win everything on offer.

“I told my players that we needed to become addicted to winning - like it’s some kind of drug. You must want it all the time," Tinkler was quoted as saying by SunSport.

“The Confed Cup is where you compete against the best. That is where you judge yourself against your peers.

“Hopefully we get to Tunisia and get the result to progress to the final. That is the trophy I would obviously want to win. I take some pride from my time at Pirates - it has motivated me to do what I am doing now," he concluded.

In Mnyamane's absence, SuperSport will look to CAFCC top scorer Jeremy Brockie for goals. The New Zealand international has bagged nine goals in this season's competition.

Gehad Grisha will take charge of the clash in Radès.

The aggregate winner will take on either TP Mazembe or FUS Rabat in the showpiece. The Ravens take a 1-0 lead to Morocco following their success in Lubumbashi.