Mutapa backs Arrows to overturn CAF Confed Cup defeat

Red Arrows technical director Osward Mutapa believes they don’t need a miracle away in Angola to overturn Saturday’s CAF Champions League 1-0 home loss to Primeiro de Agosto.

Zambian champions Arrows are staring at the prospect of an early CAF Champions League exit following their preliminary round, first leg loss in Lusaka.

“This is football, and anything is possible in football; we have lost the first half 1-0; we can equally go there and win 1-0, maybe take it into penalties, and we can even win 2-0 or 3-0,” Mutapa said.

“This is a team that is able to create chances, but if we can just be more composed in front of goal and utilise the chances that we have, it is very possible to overturn this result.”

Ambrozini Salvador scored the game’s lone goal in the 4th minute to give Agosto the advantage heading into the final leg on September 16 in Luanda.

“We haven’t scored the goals that we were required to score, and the early goal unsettled us, which resulted in us making a lot of turnovers. We get the ball, and we give it back to them,” Mutapa said.

“Overall, tough game, but we created a lot of chances, but if you don’t utilise them, it is always a bad result at the end of the day.”

This is the two sides’ second successive continental meeting after their 2021/2022 CAF Confederation Cup second-round encounter.

Arrows won that one 1-0 away in Luanda to progress to the third round by the same aggregate score line where SC Simba of Tanzania eliminated them from the CAF Confederation Cup.

The Lusaka club is now facing the prospect of a preliminary stage exit for the first time since 2012, when Royal Leopards of Eswatini ended their CAF Confederation Cup campaign.

Arrows bowed out 1-0 on aggregate that season following a scoreless home draw in Lusaka.