Carteron eyes perfect start as Raja boss

Patrice Carteron

Sunday Feb 03, 2019. 16:00

Raja Casablanca will kick-off their quest for a second successive Caf Confederations Cup title with a clash away to Group A rivals Hassania Agadir at Stade Adrar in Agadir on Sunday evening.

Kick-off is at 21h00 CAT.

The Green Eagles sealed a second CAFCC title with a 4-3 aggregate win over AS Vita last year and head into the group stages of this year's competition having narrowly edged past Namibia's African Stars in the playoff round.

Raja beat Cercle Mbéri Sportif 5-1 before defeating Stars to book their place in the group stages alongside fellow Moroccan clubs Hassania Agadir and RS Berkane who they were duly drawn alongside in Group A. Congo's AS Otôho complete a competitive group.

The defending champions appointed Patrice Carteron as Juan Carlos Garrido's successor earlier this week.

Carteron is no stranger to African continental competitions and will now be hoping to become only the third coach to win both the CAF CL and CAF CC - Tunisian Faouzi Benzarti and Ghanaian Cecil Jones Attuquayefio are the only two men to do so.

The Frenchman guided TP Mazembe to the 2015 CAF CL title and came close to a second crown a few months ago as head coach of Al Ahly, losing on aggregate to Esperance de Tunis in the final of Africa's premier cup competition.

Hassania Agadir's passage to the group stages of this year's competition included aggregate wins over AS GNN, Generation Foot and Jimma Aba Jifar. The Moroccan club scored 11 goals in their three qualifiers.

Bienvenu Sinko of the Ivory Coast will take charge of the clash in Agadir.