Tout Puissant Mazembe

We know from Tuesday, May 7 at midday: Mazembe will face the Mozambican team Liga Desportiva Muçulmana of Maputo (LDMM) in play-off of the CAF Confederation Cup! Before this gala double confrontation, focus on the opponent of Ravens which also has great ambitions.

"Os Muçulmanos" is the nickname of this Mozambican team based in Maputo whose age does not exceed 23 candles. Liga Desportivo Muçulmana which has not written letters of nobility yet in CAF African Interclub Cup is well known in Southern Africa as one of the richest teams of Mozambique.

Muçulmana does not have an impressive record in "Moçambola" the national championship with only two titles (2010 and 2011), but on the pitch the "green" ( jersey color of Muçulmana) exercises  good football where the ball moves along through a quite dynamic game, a legacy of the Portuguese membership of the country since its inception in 1990. The team is nowadays a key provider of players in the national team of Mozambique.

In CAF Cup 2013, always a goal scored outside

Some elements of LDMM:

- 14 goals scored in six games, an average of 2.3 goals per game on the entire journey. 10 goals scored at home, an average to its credit when it plays at home 3.3 goals. At home, the team is intractable. 4 goals scored outside inform about the chances when Muçulmana plays away from his land: an average of 1.3 goals per game.

- 8 goals conceded in three matches played outside, a trend that makes feverish Muçulmana with an average of 2.6 goals for its opponents.

Five players have distinguished themselves from the preliminaries; the forward to watch is David Apson MANJABE (1.90 m, 88 kg) top scorer of this team. With 4 goals in a game, he helped his team to beat Lobi Stars 7-1, there are also AlmiroEdson Daniel LOBO, HelderJustino PELEMBE, Josemar Mago MACHAISSE et Zainadine CHAVANGO a man of set plays.

Preliminary

Gaborone United- Liga Desportivo Muçulmuna 2-2

Liga Desportiva Muçulmana- Gaborone United 1-0

16th finals

Lobi Stars (Nigeria)- Liga Desportivo Muçulmana3-1

Liga Desportivo Muçulmana- Lobi Stars (Nigeria) 7-1

Eighth final

Liga Desportivo Muçulmana-WAC 2-0

WAC-Liga Desportivo Muçulmana 3-1

Both teams are far from sharing a common past at this level of competition, because after 158 games of the Ravens in CAF African Interclub Cup, it will be a first encounter with a Mozambican team.

Fourth in the Championship

Currently Muçulmana with only 6 games and yet we played the eighth day in "Moçambola" ranks fourth with 13 points behind HCB Songo (18 points), Maxaquene (18 points) and Chingale Tete (16 points) which has two games in advance. Before moving to Lubumbashi, Muçulmana will play on Wednesday against Desportivo Nacala after 0-0 last Sunday against Estrela Vermelha Beira.

Its coach: "We can go into phase ..."

"We have taken all precautions to get through this round. Our strategy will not change; try to score as usual outside. A good vigilance in defense without leaving the ball possession to TPM and attack at every opportunity. Despite the strength of the TPM, we have the arguments to reach the group phase; it is our goal this season.” The Portuguese coach of LDMM Luis Filipe VIERA CARVALHA said.

The technician of Muçulmana expects a tough match in Lubumbashi, without two key elements of his device, the goalkeeper Caio JOSIMAR - excluded during the game against WAC, serving a one-game suspension - and ZICO who’s not recovered from his injury.

On the Mazembe side, the Technical Director Lamine NDIAYE has already watched 90 minutes of the LDDM match in Casablanca and will submit to the staff all the information allowing a complete “radiography” of the Ravens’ opponent.

In the columns of "Noticias" a Mozambican weekly published today in Maputo, Liga Desportiva Muçulmana announces its arrival in Lubumbashi Wednesday while the Maputo team is officially announced for Saturday in the official correspondences. It is a delegation of 29 people that is expected 24 hours before the match.