Esperance favourites for CAF Super Cup as Doha all set for African treat

Doha, Qatar: Esperance Sportive de Tunis start as favourites in the CAF Super Cup in Doha on Friday, but their rivals Raja Casablanca of Morocco are all set to put in their all to redeem their season, which has been, by their lofty standards, a disappointment.

The Super Cup, a one off match between the CAF Champions League winners and CAF Confederations Cup champions will give football fans in Doha a unique chance to witness the beauty and power of African football.

The CAF Super Cup is going out of the continent for the first time and Al Gharafa Stadium is all set to host the two powerhouses of the continent.

A crowd of 20,000 is expected for the match, which starts at 7 pm.

Esperance, the CAF Champions League winners last season, is going great guns this season and have booked their place in the quarterfinals as group champions.

The Tunisians are currently enjoying a 16 match unbeaten run and Casablanca coach Patrice Carteron said they were the best team in Africa right now.

“Esperance are the best team in Africa at this point but in a one-off match anything can happen,” said Frenchman Carteron, who suffered at the hands of the Tunisians in the 2018 final of Champions League when he was with Egyptian side Al Ahly.

The former Lyon, Saint Etienne and Sunderland defender, however, said he had noticed some weaknesses in their rivals which his team would look to take advantage on Friday.

Asked whether he was plotting revenge for last season’s final, Carteron said revenge was not in his mind now.

That defeat was when I was with Ahly and now I don’t have any feeling of revenge," said Carteron, who was delighted by the welcome his team got in the Qatari capital.

Earlier, Esperance assistant coach Mehdi Traoui said his team would be fully focussed on winning the Super Cup.

“We have the advantage in terms of statistics, but football matches are won on the pitch and we need to make sure that were are on top of our game on Friday,” said Traoui, who also thanked Qatar Football Association for organising the match.