Green Eagles midfielder Caesar Hakaluba believes they have the capacity to pull off a dramatic comeback this Sunday away in Morocco and qualify to the 2019/2020 CAF Confederation Cup group stage.
Eagles arrived in Agadir on Tuesday ahead of Sunday’s must-win last 32, final leg date against Hassania Agadir locked at 1-1 from the first leg on October 27 at National Heroes Stadium in Lusaka.
Hakaluba said Eagles cannot afford to stumble for a third successive time at a critical stage since making their continental debut last season.
Premiero de Agosto of Angola eliminated Eagles from the 2019/20 CAF Champions League pre-group stage in September to see them demoted to the CAF Confederation Cup.
But Eagles’ 1-0 final leg away win in Luanda was not enough after Agosto had beaten them 2-1 in Lusaka to qualify to the group stage on away goals rule.
Last season, Hussein Dey of Algeria ejected Eagles from the second stage of the CAF Confederation Cup beating them 2-1 in Algiers in the final leg following a 0-0 first leg result in Lusaka.
“Looking at the previous games, we have learnt hard lessons and wouldn’t want this chance to pass us by,” Hakaluba said.
“So we are working extra-hard so that this time we can go into the group stage.
“What I can promise our fans is we will work extra hard, we will not disappoint them so that we qualify to the group stages.”
Eagles are one of two Zambia’s sides in the race to qualify to the CAF Confederation Cup group stage this weekend.
Zanaco host Cano SA of Equatorial Guinea this Sunday at Heroes Stadium in Lusaka armed with a healthy 3-1 away victory they collected on October 27 in Malabo.
