Zesco United have stated that they are experienced enough to be ready for any opponent ahead of Friday’s 2018/2019 CAF Confederation Cup pre-group stage draws.
Zesco will go into Friday’s draws of the second tier of the CAF club competition following their elimination at the pre-group stage of the 2018/2019 CAF Champions League last Saturday at the hands of five-time African champions TP Mazembe of DR Congo.
Club CEO Richard Mulenga said that the home leg performance against Mazembe, that finished 1-1 on December 23 in Ndola before bowing out 2-1 on aggregate, showed they too have the continental pedigree despite their CAF Champions League exit.
“If Zesco want to be amongst the best in Africa, we ought to be prepared and ready to play any team just like we were prepared to play Mazembe. We drew here (in Ndola) but they have gone through on aggregate,” Mulenga said.
“But if we are going to have any ambitions of being the best in Africa, we ought to be ready to face the best on the continent.”
Zesco and fourteen other clubs demoted from the CAF Champions League could get drawn against one of two former winners of the competition who include Raja Casablanca of Morocco and record three-time CAF Confederation Cup champions CS Sfaxien of Tunisia in the battle for a group stage spot.
Five-time African champions Zamalek of Egypt and two-time continental title winners Asante Kotoko from Ghana are other prospective opponents.
Sfaxien, Zamalek and Asante Kotoko are part of the fifteen teams who advanced from last week’s second round of the CAF Confederation Cup and will be drawn against the relegated sides.
