Shooting Stars Sports Club of Ibadan are confident of advancing to the next stage of the CAF Confederation Cup despite a slim first-leg advantage over CS Sfaxien of Tunisia. The Nigerian side secured a 1-0 victory over the Tunisian club at the MKO Abiola Sports Arena, Abeokuta, on Saturday.
Speaking at a post-match news conference, Shooting stars head coach, Salisu Yusuf, said his players could have won by a wider margin, having created several scoring opportunities. Yusuf said the team could have scored three or four goals but acknowledged that football could be unpredictable.
He expressed optimism ahead of the return leg in Tunisia, saying Shooting stars would approach the encounter positively rather than simply defend their advantage. The coach said the pressure on the Tunisian side to score would create opportunities for Shooting stars to exploit on the counter.
Yusuf recalled his experience in continental football, including a previous away victory in Egypt while managing Rangers, saying such experiences had strengthened his belief in securing a positive result in Tunisia. He added that the team had undergone significant transformation since his arrival, expressing confidence that further improvements would be recorded in the coming months.
The winners: Shooting Stars, if they advance; and Nigerian football fans, who have a team to support. The losers: CS Sfaxien, if they are eliminated; and the Nigerian Football Federation, which must ensure the team is properly supported.
Bottom Line: Shooting Stars have a slim lead. The return leg in Tunisia awaits. The question is whether they can hold on or the advantage will slip away.