TP Mazembe v USM Alger: Carteron demands ´beautiful football´ to seal CAF Champions League glory

Coach Patrice Carteron has cautioned TP Mazembe against sitting on a 2-1 lead when they host USM Alger in the second leg of the CAF Champions League final.

The DR Congo club are firm favourites to claim a fifth continental title and their third in seven years in Sunday’s encounter after Rainford Kalaba and Mbwana Samatta with a penalty scored to give them a first-leg advantage a week ago.

Mohamed Seguer was on target during the closing stages to give USM Alger a glimmer of hope, but TP Mazembe will be buoyed by their formidable home record in the competition as they look to complete the job.

In 77 CAF Champions League matches on their own ground dating back to 1965 – and including those played under the club’s former guise of TP Englebert – they have won 59 times and tasted defeat on just three occasions.

And, despite needing only a draw to claim the trophy, Carteron certainly sees no reason not to go for win number 60 against opponents he holds in the highest regard.

He told BBC Sport: “We have to play as though we lost the first game. We like to play beautiful football, we do not know how to play another way.

“We have to give 100 per cent to score goals and be positive, this is the way for us to win the game and the trophy.”

USM will be without Youcef Belaili due to a doping ban and Hocine El Orfi, who was sent off in the first leg.

Zambian goal-hero Kalaba is also suspended for Mazembe, while defender Jean Kasusula will be absent due to a broken arm sustained in a scooter accident.

Mazembe’s Ghanaian midfielder Daniel Nii Adjei told FIFA.com: “It is not yet a done deal. We have won one but anything can happen in the second leg.

“They can come here to Lubumbashi and surprise us. We have to prepare well to beat them and win the cup.”