Shooting Stars warned to expect ‘real battle’ at CS Sfaxien

Shooting Stars technical adviser Salisu Yusuf has told his players they must prepare for a more demanding test when they face CS Sfaxien in the second leg of their CAF Confederation Cup first preliminary-round tie.

The Oluyole Warriors take a 1-0 advantage to Tunisia after defeating the Tunisian club at the Moshood Abiola Sports Complex in Abeokuta on Saturday.

Lucky Emmanuel scored the only goal of the match in the 26th minute, giving the Ibadan side a narrow lead to defend in the return fixture.

Yusuf was pleased with the discipline and defensive organisation shown by his team, although he admitted Shooting Stars had opportunities to make the scoreline more comfortable.

“CS Sfaxien are a tactical side. They tried to survive with long balls, but they could not break our defence. We took advantage of our opportunity, scored the only goal and were able to defend it,” Yusuf told the media after the game.

The Shooting Stars coach said his players might have put the tie in a stronger position before the trip to Tunisia.

“We could have scored two or three goals, but we missed a lot of chances.

“In the first half, we played a very coordinated game. Tactically, we were better and more organised in the first half than in the second.”

Yusuf expects CS Sfaxien to apply greater pressure in the second meeting and warned that his side cannot simply attempt to repeat its first-leg approach.

The Tunisian team showed determination in Abeokuta, according to Yusuf, who said Shooting Stars would have to match that commitment away from home.

“They fought here, and we are going there to fight as well. We are not going to play the same way we played here,” he added.

“The Tunisians put us under a lot of pressure. If we cannot score in Tunisia, then we have to make sure we protect our goal.

“It is going to be a real battle in Tunisia.”

The decisive second leg will be played in Sfax on Sunday, 13 September, with a place in the next preliminary round of the CAF Confederation Cup at stake.

Shooting Stars will need to preserve their one-goal advantage to progress, while CS Sfaxien must overturn the deficit on home soil to remain in the competition.