Mighty Wanderers president Thomson Mpinganjira says he was disappointed that his club failed to utilize scoring chances at home, a setback he believes will pile pressure on the team in the second leg.
Wanderers claimed a 1-0 victory over Jwaneng Galaxy of Botswana on Sunday at Bingu National Stadium in the CAF Confederation Cup. Captain Felix Zulu scored the lone goal in the 80th minute.
The return leg of the first preliminary round is scheduled for Saturday at Obed Itani Chilume Stadium in Francistown, Botswana. The winner will face either Zesco United of Zambia or FC 105 Libreville of Gabon in the second round.
In an exclusive interview with BolaNews in Malawi, Mpinganjira said his team puts itself under pressure when it fails to score more goals at home.
He said: “I was very disappointed that we did not score more than one goal, having played good football and created more chances. [That] puts pressure on the team in Francistown.”
“I want Wanderers to progress at all costs. It would be very good exposure for our players giving them a chance to be spotted and play in other leagues. It is also good for business, the costs are too high [and] would help recover some of that.”
Mpinganjira Confident Wanderers Can Advance
Asked what the team should do when they visit Jwaneng at their backyard, Mpinganjira said: “Regarding the game in Francistown, the team should just stay focused, avoid conceding an early goal and score at least one additional goal. Otherwise they will be under too much pressure.”
However, Mpinganjira is confident that Wanderers will progress to the second round.
“At this stage I would put our chances at 60:40. You may be aware that we have three or four key strikers on long term injury requiring specialist operations in South Africa,” he added.
The team is still in camp in Lilongwe and will fly out on Thursday to Botswana for the return match.
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