TP Mazembe will outrightly be underdogs to take down Mamelodi Sundowns on Sunday, and head coach Marcello Kadiamba knows what it takes to spring an upset on the Cup holders at Grand Stade de Marrakech on Sunday.
The Central African queens crumbled from an opening 1-0 win over Wadi Degla with a 2-0 defeat to Bayelsa Queens on Wednesday, the Congolese will now set their eyes on making the semi-finals but must stun against the South Africans.
And 71-year-old manager went to reflect on their unfortunate slip-up against the Nigerians while promising a strong response against the Brazilians to boost their progression.
“We lost because we were naive in the previous game [Bayelsa Queens]. It’s make or break situation for us. We have emphasised on the psychological aspect of our match against Sundowns,” said Kadiamba at the pre-match press conference.
“There’s pressure on the girls but we know how to handle such pressure. Our staff has done a lot of work on stress management for the players. The team that is the most tactically organised will win.
“We will also have to add the individualities that can make the difference on the technical level. We know the strengths of our opponent. We are aware that we are going to face a tough opponent and that we have no right to make mistakes.”
Drawing motivations from her coach, captain Alphonsine Kapinga Kankonde says they are aiming to bounce back from their setback against Bayelsa to keep their semi-final hopes alive.
“We lost the game against Bayelsa Queens because we were overconfident after our win over Wadi Degla,” said the 26-year-old defender.
“We saw the win before we even played. On Sunday, we come back with different intentions. We will win. We have no right to make mistake.
“We have prepared well psychologically, physically and tactically. We are determined to win the game against Mamelodi Sundowns and remain in this tournament.”
Source: Confédération Africaine de Football (CAF)