Mazembe ´hide´ ahead of African final

Democratic Republic of Congo club Tout Puissant Mazembe have gone into hiding ahead of the African Champions League final in Lubumbashi Saturday.

And there was no sign of Nigerian opponents Heartland either in the southern Congolese mining city ahead of the second leg that will decide who scoops a record 1.5-million-dollar first prize.

Heartland hold a 2-1 advantage from the first encounter last weekend, but Mazembe are expected to overcome the deficit and raise a trophy they last held 41 years ago.

Mazembe prepared for the first leg in Zimbabwe and returned to Harare after losing in Nigeria to continue training under French coach Diego Garzitto far from the media glare.

“We did not come to Zimbabwe for tourism,” stressed Garzitto, a 59-year-old of Italian descent whose CV includes spells as national coach of Togo and Ethiopia.

“I am delighted we could prepare in Harare because it would have been difficult for my players to focus on the final in Lubumbashi with so much media hype surrounding the game,” he told Zimbabwean reporters.

Garzitto believes the sell-out 35,000 crowd at Kenya Stadium could play a crucial role as the Congolese ‘Crows’ seek a third title after conquering Africa in 1967 and 1968 when the club was called TP Englebert.

“With our wonderful supporters backing us we should be able to win at home,” said the coach who was hired this year as part of a five-million-dollar plan to win the premier African club competition.

Mazembe returned home late Thursday and were taken to a secret location with journalists banned from talking to players like prolific-scoring midfielder and captain Mabi Mputu.

Heartland are not expected in Lubumbashi until late Friday, a move possibly prompted by a fear of the ‘dirty tricks’ so prevalent in African football despite numberous attempts by authorities to eradicate it.

Tricks used by some hosts to demoralise visitors include cutting hot water, playing loud music and serving inferior food in hotels and drivers getting ‘lost’ en route to training facilities.

Nigerian coach Kelechi ‘Caterpillar’ Emetole is hoping for dry weather in the Congolese copper minning capital as he blames a wet, slippery Owerri pitch for a lacklustre first-leg showing.

“We have been in this situation (narrow lead) before and wriggled out. Yes, our backs are to the wall, but that is when you see the best of Heartland,” he told the Nigerian media.

Mazembe have won five games and lost one at home this year in the Champions League while Heartland have won two matches, drawn three and lost two on the road.