Luanda – Angola’s Sagrada Esperança squad will seek for their first win in the Nelson Mandela Cup, at the match against Saint-Éloi Lupopo from the Democratic Republic of Congo at Lubumbashi´s La Victoire stadium on Saturday, in the DRC.
This is going to be the first-leg encounter and first ever clash between the two teams.
Sagrada Esperança, third place in the last edition (2021/2022) of the top division National Football Championship (Girabola), participate for the fourth time in the CAF Cup (1992, 1998 and 2016), so far failing to reach the group phase.
The club also participated twice in the African Champions Clubs Cup (2005 and 2006), not reaching the group phase though.
The Lunda Norte Province´s squad, who won the Girabola twice (2005 and 2021), despite the two losses in the squad, Luis Tati and Dasfaa by injury and the Portuguese coach of the club Alexandre Ribeiro, who left confident of a victory at the opponent´s home, although without information about the opponent.
In the Girabola2022 that began on 24 September, Sagrada Esperança were defeated by Wiliete de Benguela (1-2) and by Interclube (0-2).
Regarding the opponents, they also do not have a history of winning competitions of this kind.
Saint-Éloi Lupopo, in the 2021/2022 edition of their country´s first league, finished third. They have been to the Nelson Mandela Cup on five occasions, reaching the group stage in 2006. On the following occasions, they did not get beyond the first qualifying round (2005, 2011, 2012 and 2016).
The DRC team were champions of their country´s national championship for six years, namely 1958, 1968, 1981, 1986, 1990 and 2002. In four editions of CAF Champions League (2003, 2006, 2007 and 2010), it did not reach to the group phase.
Being the host team and due to DRC being a country with a football fanatic population, the Saint-Éloi Lupopo supporters are expected to flock to the La Victoire stadium to support their team.
The second-leg game between Sagrada Esperança and Saint-Éloi Lupopo will take place on 15 November at the Estádio 11 de Novembro, in Luanda.
Meanwhile, for the Nelson Mandela Cup, in the weekend it is scheduled the matches Petro de Luanda vs South Africa´s Cape Town City (Saturday) and 1º de Agosto vs Simba Sports Club from Tanzania (Sunday)
Source: Angola Press News Agency