NAPSA STARS FOOTBALL CLUB MOHAMMED FATHI HOPEFUL

NAPSA Stars FC coach Mohamed Fathi is hopeful the Zambian envoys will beat UD Songo in the CAF Confederations Cup second round, second leg fixture to progress to the next round of the competition. Speaking in an interview, Fathi whose side were held to a goalless draw in the first leg fixture played on December 22, said the Pensioners have prepared well for the return fixture slated for Estadio Do Ferroviario in Beira, Mozambique. Fathi said Napsa Stars has been boosted by the return of top strikers Tapson Kaseba and Bornwel Mwape who have recovered from injuries. “We have prepared well. The coming of Tapson and Bornwel will make us comfortable and provide more options on the frontline, so far, so good. “It’s important for us to take advantage as the  pressure is on the other side, they played a closed game here and definitely they will want to win at their home ground, so they will open up and we know when they open up we know what we are going to do. With God we can have something in Mozambique and come back happy,” Fathi cautioned his players to think of the game on January 6 as a new match which will take them to the next round of the competition based on the result collected in Beira. “We have to go with a winning mentality and try to win the game or to have a positive draw both results can take us to the next round. If it comes to the worst we can keep it 0-0 and go for penalties to see what God has prepared for us,” Fathi said. Fathi who is having an injury-free squad said he is not under pressure as Napsa Stars prepare for the clash against UD Songo to avoid getting a loss away. “We never play under pressure as Napsa Stars and we just urge the fans to keep supporting the team God willingly we will make the country happy,” he said. The head coach has remained positive and has continued to push his boys to maintain focus going into the return match in Mozambique.  “They will play an open game and we will take advantage of that. We still have a lot of chances of qualifying and we will keep fighting,” Fathi adds. And team captain Dickson Chapa said a draw is not a very bad result adding that the team will work together to pick a positive result in Mozambique. Meanwhile, UD Songo Assistant coach Carlos Manuel said his team played the game according to their plan adding that they got a result that they wanted. ” Our league has not yet started and we came with a strategy to defend and we will finish the game back in Mozambique. We are one team that play good football in Mozambique and we attack a lot and it would be absurd for us to come here and play an open game,” Coach Carlos Manuel said.