Green Buffaloes head coach Charles Charles Haalubono is under no illusions regarding the propensity of the task at hand as his side battle Simba Queens at Grand Stade de Marrakech.
It’s do or die for the Zambian Army on Saturday as a defeat to Simba would bring an end to their Women’s Champions League campaign and Haalubono is fully aware of the size of the fixture in Marrakech.
“It’s a very important game for us, all we need is a win in this game since we lost the second match,” said the 43-year-old tactician during the press conference.
“We lost, because of the mistake we made in the defence. My defenders were not patient enough, when they saw the ball in the box, they couldn’t contain the attackers.
“We have talked about that, I hope there will be an improvement because we conceded goals in the second game.”
Cruising from a healthy 4-0 win against Determine Girls, the COSAFA champions failed in inching closer to their progression after surrendering a one-goal lead to lose 2-1 to hosts AS FAR in Rabar.
Despite the defeat, the Zambians will require at least a draw to confirm their semi-final spot and the tactician assures his side will make a strong response against Charles Lukula’s ladies.
“The morale was a bit low after the loss but we told them it is not over, that in a tournament, sometimes you cannot win all the games, but it is the way you respond that matters, that is the most important thing, we told them,” he admitted.
“Let us forget about that game, we take it as a push-up. Way forward we shouldn’t just sit and watch, we should focus on the wins we need.
“If we can lose one and win two, we will qualify for the semi-finals. We have told them to forget about that and forge ahead.”
Drawing motivations from her coach, midfielder Joana Benai stressed the importance of getting a victory against Simba.
“We are preparing so well, we just have to win. Just as the coach said, It is an important game for us, since we lost the second game,” said the 26-year-old star.
“I am looking forward to winning our final group match and putting in everything to make sure we win in other to qualify.”
Source: Confédération Africaine de Football (CAF)