African Stars’ executive director (ED), Salomo Hei, believes his side stands a big chance of progressing through the preliminary stages of the Confederation of African Football (Caf) into the group stages of the upcoming tournament.
Yesterday, the 2022/23 Debmarine Champions were drawn against Zambia’s Power Dynamos, whom they will face in a two-legged preliminary round scheduled for September and October this year.
The first leg will take place from 15 to 17 September, possibly in Windhoek, while the second leg is slated for 30 September and 1 October in Lusaka, Zambia.
Reacting to the draw yesterday, Hei expressed his satisfaction, stating that all the teams at this level are equally strong. He also acknowledged the strength of their opponent, mentioning that they are a good team.
However, he firmly believes that African Stars will prevail and advance to the next round.
“Power Dynamos is a good team, and playing against them will be a good test for us, as it will show how good African Stars are. This is an equally crucial test for Namibian football, to see how we measure up against other teams on the continent. I am excited, and I firmly believe we stand a very good chance of progressing to the next round,” he said.
The winner between the two teams will face Simba S.C. in the next round of the tournament.
African Stars previously participated in the Caf Champions League back in 2019, where they suffered a 5-3 loss against Uganda’s Kampala City Council Authority (KCCA). Stars won the first leg 3-2 in Windhoek before going down 2-0 in Kampala in the second leg. In a recent interview with New Era Sport, Hei said his side is determined to change their narrative in this year’s campaign as they aim to reach the group stage.
“The reason why we sought players from the continent is that we have an Africa campaign ahead, and successful African teams in such competitions often include foreign players. This being our third attempt, we have learned from our past experiences and are seizing this opportunity to be more than ready, with the hope of advancing through the group stage,” Hei said referring to the team’s recent new signings.
-mkambukwe@nepc.com.na