Eddie Chikamhi
Zimpapers Sports hub
SCOTTLAND coach Norman Mapeza has refused to get carried away despite his team taking what looks like a strong grip in their battle for a CAF Champions League group stage berth against Angolan powerhouse Petro de Luanda.
The Mabvuku side are 90 minutes away from a fairy African safari group stage debut after subduing the two-time Champions League semi-finalists 2-0 in the first leg of the second round at the National Sports Stadium on Sunday.
Veterans Knowledge Musona and Khama Billiat showed their class in the game, scoring both goals in the second half to make sure the hosts capitalised on home comfort and the numerical advantage after the visitors’ goalkeeper Hugo Marques was red carded just seconds into the game.
Mapeza said Scottland needed to keep their focus and avoid conceding early when they play the decisive second leg tie at the 48 000-seater multi-purpose, Estádio 11 de Novembro, this Friday.
“We need to go there and fight. You can tell they are a very organised team and have experienced players,” said Mapeza.
Mapeza anticipates a backlash from the Angolans who reached the semi-finals of the CAF Champions League in 2001 as well as in the 2021-22 season when they shocked South African giants Mamelodi Sundowns.
Yet Mapeza reckons Scottland are very much in control because of their two-goal cushion, which they need to protect at all costs.
“If we are going to concede early then we are in trouble,” he said.
“We don’t have to concede early; either we are going to get a goal early, then it will be okay with us. But if we are going to concede early then we are in trouble,” said Mapeza.
Scottland have a robust defence this season, which has underlined their campaign in defence of the Castle Lager Premiership title, with goalkeeper Nelson Chadya setting a new record of 21 clean sheets.
They have carried the form to the African safari, where they have now played three CAF Champions League games without conceding a goal.
They beat Eswatini side Nsingizini Hotspurs 1-0 on aggregate in the first round before scoring twice against the Angolan giants.
“It’s all about organisation. In any game of football, you need to be organised. The first thing is we have to deal with the defence first before we go forward.
“We can’t start to talk about our attack before making sure that our defence is solid. I think we looked very solid, maybe it was because we were playing against 10 men. But I think we looked very solid.
“So, if we can go there and be solid like the way we were (on Sunday), I think we’ll get something out of this game,” said Mapeza.
Despite being perennial campaigners on Africa, Petro de Luanda proved they can be vulnerable in the first leg they played against Mozambique’s UD Dongo.
The Angolans won the first keg 1-0 away but conceded twice at home when playing a 2-2 draw and claim a 3-2 aggregate victory to advance to the second round.
Mapeza emphasised they need to take their chances. On Sunday, they missed guilt-edged chances with Musona and Billiat coming close.
“But look, those chances which Knowledge and Khama missed, if maybe anything would have gone wrong with the results, it was going to be something else.
“Those two clear cut chances. But at the end of the day, we won. We just go work and try to rectify the mistakes we made,” said Mapeza.
Scottland were on the road last night for the return leg trip.
They were scheduled take a morning flight to Angola in the early hours today.
The Mabvuku side are not leaving anything to chance as they need to acclimatise before Friday’s kickoff.
Since there are no direct flights from Harare to Luanda, a club official said Scottland were booked for a 2:20am Ethiopian Airlines flight which takes them via Addis Ababa.
They were scheduled to take a brief stop-over in Addis Ababa and then complete the 10-hour trip around midday.
This would ensure Scottland two full days to train and acclimatise with the conditions in Angola.
