Champions League: AS FAR one point from the quarters, Raja to prolong the suspense

Friday 10th January 2025 01:35 PM

Just six months ago, the Raja and theAS FAR were engaged in a fierce fight for the title of the 2023-24 season of the Bottle Pro You D1. This duel finally tilted in favor of the RCA, which set the table again in July by seizing the Throne Cupalways at the expense of the Military (2-0 in the final in Agadir). Ironically, the CAF draw placed the two big names in the same group (B) and the duel experienced a new act, on November 26, a first leg won by AS FAR in Casablanca with a score of 2-0.

This Saturday, from 8 p.m., the two opponents will meet on the lawn of the Stade d’Honneur in Meknes, with an advantage in favor of the Military who could qualify for the quarter-finals in the event of victory. Leaders of group B with eight points and still invincible in the group stage, the members of the capital will therefore aim for victory to reach the 11 point mark. L’AS FAR displays the best attacking line in the group, with 6 goals scored (all other clubs scored 2 goals) as well as the best defense with two goals conceded. The Rabat club is therefore very close to snatching its ticket for the quarters and should not change anything in its playing philosophy on Saturday, according to its coach Hubert Velud : “It’s a heavy match, which represents a big stake for both teams. The two teams know each other perfectly… All of this means that there are several elements to take into account: technical, psychological and environmental. I think we are ready, even if we have to remain cautious.”

The French technician also announced the absence of an attacker this Saturday, during his appearance at a pre-match press conference on Friday: “We had an injured person this week, who is Mahmoud Benhalibwe won’t be at full strength, but I think we’re ready… It’s the victory we need, in our minds it’s very clear. It would be a big mistake to want to manage the match. We have our playing identity which is oriented towards the offensive and towards victory, so we are definitely not going to change that today. AS FAR will therefore aim for its third victory this Saturday, against an opponent who has nothing left to lose and who intends to undermine the hopes of the Military in Meknes.

A new burst of pride for the Eagles this Saturday?

Having already evolved under the leadership of four technicians this season (Rusmir Cviko, Abdelkarim El Jinani, Ricardo Sa Pinto and Hafid Abdessadeq), the Raja of Casablanca had a disastrous first half of the season in Botola Pro Inwin D1, ending with a disappointing 8th place. In Champions LeagueRCA collected only one point after its first three matches in Group B. The club finally redeemed itself last Saturday, defeating Mamelodi Sundowns and settling in third position . Housed 4 points from theAS FARthe Raja therefore hopes to overthrow the leader to occupy second place, hoping for a draw or a defeat for the South Africans against Maniema Union (DRC).

Invited to express his expectations regarding this match, Friday at a pre-match press conference, Hafid Abdessadeq clarified that the group’s state of mind had seen a clear improvement: “Since the very first training session, I asked the players to focus fully on the next duel, which is decisive. Thank goodness I noticed that everyone had forgotten about the result against Mamelodi Sundowns and all attention was on the next match. The players are very focused and benefit from the support of everyone, supporters and managers… There are some fears regarding the pitch, but we will try to adapt during Friday’s session. We will play without our supporters, but that is normal since AS FAR was also deprived of its fans in the first leg. They will play for 100% qualification, while we will fight to maintain our chances of qualifying.

Raja will therefore try to slow down the AS FAR machine and could upset the fate of the two qualifying tickets in the event of a victory this Saturday. The two representatives of Morocco will also cross their fingers for a draw or a victory for Maniema Union against Mamelodi Sundowns, the other challenger in search of a place in the quarter-finals.