• Tusker FC will visit Singida Black Stars at the Azam Sports Complex in Chamazi for the second leg of their CAF Confederation Cup group-stage qualifier.
• The match will be played on Sunday, October 25, from 7pmEAT.
• Singida won the first leg 1-0 in Nairobi, meaning Tusker need a victory by at least two goals to keep their hopes of progressing to the group stage alive.

Tusker FC have a mountain to climb on Sunday evening when they visit Tanzania’s Singida Black Stars, looking to overturn a first-leg defeat in the CAF Confederation Cup qualifiers when the two sides meet at the Azam Sports Complex in Chamazi.

The Brewers must overturn last weekend’s 1-0 defeat at Nyayo Stadium and, playing away from home, need nothing short of a convincing two-goal victory to keep their hopes of qualifying for the group stage alive.

At home last weekend, Julien Mette’s side squandered several promising chances and lacked a cutting edge in attack, failing to make their opportunities count, a shortcoming that ultimately came back to haunt them.

In the 52nd minute, the visitors scored the game’s only goal through Jeancy Mboma, handing Papy Kimoto’s charges a slender advantage heading into the return leg.

“So that’s the right mindset to take revenge on Sunday. You have to approach the game like a final because any victory qualifies us. Except if it’s 1-0, we go to a penalty shootout. But that’s already a good thing and a good opportunity,” Julien Mette said before the clash on Sunday.

Coach Mette has revealed that his side will be seeking redemption after learning valuable lessons from last weekend’s defeat.

They are determined to address their shortcomings and have identified what it will take to win the clash.

“So this is also the type of mindset I want for that game. They have a proper identity. They play the same way they did at Nyayo,” Mette explained.

“So they don’t like to keep possession for long, but they are more direct. When I say direct, it could be a long ball or a direct pass to the wingers because the difference is made by Singida’s wingers. We saw that very clearly with Mboma, the winger who scored against us. That was their only opportunity in 60 minutes, so we expect them to adopt the same approach.

“So we received a lesson from this last Sunday. Now I’ve talked to the players. We also have to correct this because our approach must be more focused on the opponent’s goal, looking more towards their goal, especially in the final third.”

The French tactician also revealed what his team plans to do differently in the return leg.

“So, we will see. The first minute will be decisive. If we enter the game very well, maybe we will put them in their own box. Or if we miss the first ball, the first duel, they will have the lead in the beginning. But the management of stress and the mental aspect will be crucial,” he added.

For Kimoto, however, the job is far from finished. The Singida coach remains cautious, insisting that his side must protect their slender advantage, as a single away goal is not much to rely on.

“It’s an advantage, but we also need to focus on the second leg,” Kimoto said, stressing the importance of staying focused despite the first-leg result.

“We need to finish the game at home. The away goal doesn’t change how we will approach the second leg against Tusker.

Away from last weekend’s first-leg encounter, Tusker FC and Singida Black Stars have no previous competitive meetings, making Sunday’s CAF Confederation Cup clash their second-ever showdown.

The Brewers’ meeting with Singida will make them the seventh different Kenyan club to face Tanzanian opposition in CAF inter-club competitions.

Kenyan clubs have won five of their eight previous meetings against Tanzanian sides on home soil while suffering three defeats.