We can beat Al Hilal—BB coach
Despite some tactical frailties, Big Bullets coach Nsanzurwimo Ramadhan is still optimistic that his side can go past Al Hilal of Sudan in the 19th edition of the CAF Champions League.
Bullets will face the Sudanese giants who qualified on a 2-1 aggregate against KMKM of Zanzibar. Al Hilal won the first leg 2-0 at home, but went down 1-0 in the return leg on Saturday.
The game is scheduled for March 15 away in Sudan.
Bullets struggled to see-off minnows Fomboni Club De Maheil from the Comoros 3-2 on aggregate on Saturday, but Ramadhan insists his team should not be written off against the Sudanese two-time finalists.
“The past does not matter in soccer. If they reached the semi-finals last year, what can prevent us from doing the same?
“The problem we had on Saturday is that we underrated Fomboni, especially after taking a two-goal lead in the first-half. We conceded those goals due to lack of concentration at the back,” Ramadhan told the press soon after the game.
The Bullets coach also said there is need to work on the mindset of his charges, who were tactically naive on Saturday.
Fomboni’s Malawian player Wister Phiri said Bullets nearly paid the price for playing to the crowd.
“When they were two goals up, they thought it was all over and they turned to flowery football to please the crowd.
“They forgot that a match is not won until after 90 minutes, so my advice to them as they progress to the next stage is not to throw caution to the wind and fight until virtually the last gasp. Otherwise, I wish them good luck,” said Phiri.
Al Hilal, also known as Al Hilal Omdurman, were founded in 1930 in the city of Omdurman. They have been crowned champions of the Sudan Premier League in seven of the past nine seasons. They won the championship 27 times during the league’s 45 seasons.
They have twice (in 1987 and 1992) qualified for the CAF Champions League and managed to qualify for the semi-finals five times, including last year while Bullets went as far as the quarter-finals in 2004 when they were sponsored by former president Bakili Muluzi.
