Debmarine champions African Stars may hold an advantage heading into the second leg of the Caf Champions League preliminary round, but head coach Ronnie Kanalelo is urging his team to sharpen their finishing in the final third.
After their narrow 1-0 victory against Jwaneng Galaxy on Saturday, the coach stressed the need for better decision-making and execution in front of goal.
The two teams clashed in the first leg on Saturday at the National Stadium in Gaborone, Botswana, where Debmarine Premiership top goal-scorer Awilo Stephanus netted the only goal for the PstBet NFA Cup champions.
While the result puts Stars in a favourable position ahead of this weekend’s return leg, Kanalelo is keenly aware of the areas that need improvement.
“We had a good first half, but we were let down by lapses in the final third. Organisationally, we did very well. We didn’t give them a chance to play, cutting out their switch play and forcing them to play a short game through overcrowded central areas,” he said after the match.
He stressed the importance of being more clinical when opportunities arise.
“We need to be clear in the final third. That’s where we must do a lot of work. Movement, decision-making and finishing on goal are areas we must sharpen. They [Jwaneng Galaxy] are a good side with experienced players, who have tasted continental competition, so we must utilise our chances properly,” she added.
Despite the challenges faced by Stars, their opponents are not backing down.
Morena Ramoreboli, head coach of Jwaneng Galaxy, expressed his disappointment with the result, but remained determined to turn things around in the second leg.
“It’s a game of football, and you’ll be disappointed with certain decisions you make. But I don’t think this is the right time to start complaining about anything,” he said.
“I know things didn’t go the way one would have expected, but it’s part of the game, and we take the pain and grow from the setback. I don’t think they gave us much of a problem, but we will come back next week, and we will give it our all,” he added
The second leg of this tie will be played at the same venue.
Stars will be hoping to advance to the next round after their campaign was cut short last year, losing to Zambia’s Power Dynamos.
– mkambukwe@nepc.com.na