Football: Caf Confederation Cup |04 November 2022
La Passe to face Congolese Diables Noirs after Sundown
Despite being mauled 15-1 on aggregate by South Africa’s Mamelodi Sundown in the second preliminary round of the Confederation of African Football (Caf) Champions League, Seychelles league champions La Passe live to fight another day.
This time it will be in the Caf Confederation Cup playoff where they will meet Congolese side Diables Noirs from Brazzaville.
La Passe earned the right to fight on in the Caf Confederation Cup after emerging as one of the 16 teams who lost their second preliminary round Caf Champions League clash.
The Caf competition format stipulates that all the 16 losers of the Champions League second preliminary round meet the winners of the Confederation Cup second preliminary round in playoff matches for places in the Confederation Cup group stage.
With the Champions League supposed to be of a higher level than the Confederation Cup, teams who do not make it past the second preliminary round in the former are given a second chance in the latter.
La Passe left for Mauritius on Wednesday to play the Congolese in the ‘home’ leg of their playoff encounter at the Côte d’Or Sports Complex. As has been the case for some time now, all the country’s international matches have to be played abroad because the national stadium, Stad Linite, is not certified for this purpose.
The match is scheduled for today starting at 5pm, with the return leg expected to be played in the Congolese capital, Brazzaville, on Wednesday November 9 at 6.30pm Congolese time.
La Passe will fly to Brazzaville from Mauritius on Saturday November 5.
According to pundits, La Passe are not expected to have as torrid a time as they had against Mamelodi Sundown. The game is expected to be very interesting as both teams will try to perform well.
“Everyone expects this to be a tight game,” predict the pundits.
It must be noted though that while La Passe will be meeting the Congolese on the back of heavy defeats in the Champions League, Diables Noirs won their most recent Confederation Cup match 3-0 against Ferroviario Beira of Mozambique.
The aggregate winners over the two legs will progress to the group stages of the second most lucrative club competition on the continent, the Caf Confederation Cup.
The La Passe delegation is as follows:
Players: Dave Mussard, Basil Esther (goalkeepers); Ian Ah-Kong, Jean-Yves Choisy, Helton Monnaie, Archille, Shane Ernesta, Derold Mussard, Rodrick Rose, Senky Vidot (defenders); Archille Henriette, Florent Rajaoniasy, Jean Aimarthelin Ratianaridimby, Graig Cedras (strikers); Afandi Aboudou, Assad Aboudou, Damio Ladouce, Rihno Michel (midfielders).
Management: James Barra (head coach), Marius Fanchette (assistant coach), Lorna Ladouce (club secretary), Fred Moïse (assistant manager), Serge Ernesta and Archille Esther (physiotherapists), Allen Niole (club vice-president), Gerald Lablache (club president), Lewis Madeleine (head of delegation).
Contributed