‘We can win in Casablanca’ – CRB coach Paqueta

by Staff Reporter

Tuesday Apr 19, 2022. 10:00

CR Belouizdad coach Marcos Paqueta has backed his team to overcome a 1-0 deficit when they face Wydad Casablanca away from home in the return leg of their CAF Champions League quarterfinal tie.

CRB succumbed 1-0 in the home leg held in Algiers this past Saturday, with WAC’s Guy Mbenza scoring the only goal of the game early in the second half.

The return leg of the quarterfinal is scheduled to be held on Saturday 23 April at Stade Mohamed V in Casablanca.

“It’s true that this result is very disappointing for us, especially in the return match which will be played at home in Morocco,” explained Belouizdad coach Paqueta, as quoted by DZFoot.

“That said, if they managed to score and win this first round with us, we can also do it in a week in Casablanca.”

Wydad played most of the match with 10 men following the early dismissal of Jalal Daoudi. Paqueta admitted that his side did not do enough to earn a better result.

“I don’t think we deserved to take [the first leg] against the WAC. We dominated our opponent and we played well, but on an error, we conceded a goal,” said the CRB tactician.

“[For] this mistake, we paid cash. Now we will have to think about the return match.

“I felt that the players lacked physical freshness during this meeting. The [domestic] championship match in Bechar against the JSS left its mark,” added Paqueta.

The winners of the CRB-WAC tie will face either Petro de Luanda or Mamelodi Sundowns in the semifinals next month.