Were: Zesco will respect Royal Leopards

by Staff Reporter

Sunday Aug 15, 2021. 12:00

Zesco United striker Jesse Were says they will not undermine 2021/2022 CAF Champions League opponents Royal Leopards of Eswatini.

The Zambian champions will travel to Eswatini for their preliminary round, first leg date during the weekend of September 11 while the final leg is set for September 18 in Ndola.

Leopards will face their first Zambian opponents in ten years after eliminating Red Arrows from the preliminary stage of the 2012 CAF Confederation Cup.

“We will treat them like any other strong African team especially that they have qualified for the biggest club football showpiece on the continent,” Were told Zesco Media.

“They came here and managed to beat and eliminate Red Arrows the last time the latter played in CAF.

“This is evidence enough that they can’t be underrated.”

Zesco are unbeaten against Eswatini opposition with three wins and a draw.

Zesco will be returning to Eswatini for the first time since the 2018 CAF Champions League group stage where they beat Mbabane Swallows 3-0 away in Mbabane following a 1-1 draw in Ndola.

Meanwhile, the winner between Zesco and Leopards will play either GD Sagrada Esperanca of Angola or Zimbabwean champions FC Platinum in the pre-group stage.

Winner of the Zesco tie will be away in the first leg during the weekend of October 15-17 while the home leg is set for October 23.

Victor of October’s clash will qualify to the CAF Champions League group stage while the loser will be relegated to November’s CAF Confederation Cup pre-group stage this November.