Winners 4-1 at Kabuscorp SC in the Confederation Cup, AS Maniema Union are keeping their heads. Cameroonian coach Mauril Mesack Njoya is calling for caution ahead of the return leg in Kinshasa.
Four goals scored away from home and a three-goal lead: AS Maniema Union struck hard on Sunday 18 October, winning 4-1 at Kabuscorp SC in the first leg of the second preliminary round of the CAF Confederation Cup. Their coach believes the Congolese club have taken a serious option on a place in the group stage.
But when it came to commenting on the performance, the message did not follow the euphoria of the scoreline. The very next day, at a press conference, Mauril Mesack Njoya cooled the mood around the result. “I keep saying that nothing is decided yet,” he said, in comments carried by Actualite.cd.
A deliberate message of caution
The return leg nevertheless looks set to be played with a clear advantage: Maniema Union lead by three goals. Njoya, however, refuses to let his squad settle into certainty. “There is still a second leg. In football, anything can happen. But the point is that we have to stay cautious,” he insisted.
He ties this restraint to the respect owed to the Angolan opponents. “Even though we have already taken a serious option on the group stage, we remain cautious. We respect the opponent, and we still need to make the tie safe next week. We have to play the way we are used to playing,” he added, again according to Actualite.cd.
No mass rotation
The question of squad rotation naturally came up in the debate. Njoya, however, rules out any mass rotation from the start of the return leg. “We could take the option of rotating the squad, but the safest thing is to start strong and give our best. We need to widen the gap before we can rotate the team,” he decided.
The return leg will therefore not be a simple exercise in game management. Njoya demands that his players begin the match with the same intensity and extend the lead before making any rotations. It is a way of reminding everyone that qualification is not yet secured, as the club aims for consistency on the African stage after its recent continental campaigns.
A tall order for Kabuscorp
To turn the tie around, Kabuscorp SC will have to win by at least four goals, or score four while winning by a three-goal margin. That is a tall order against a team that has already shown, away from home, its ability to carry an attacking threat.
The winner of the two-legged tie will join the group stage of the Confederation Cup, with the draw set to be held in Cairo. Maniema Union now return to the DRC to prepare for the decisive leg, scheduled for the weekend of 24-25 October 2026 in Kinshasa.