Tout-Puissant Mazembe host Pyramids FC of Egypt this Saturday (13:00 GMT) on the fifth day of the group phase of the CAF Champions League. Once again, the Crows will be relying on their Malian striker, Cheick Oumar Fofana, to secure victory and qualification for the quarter-finals.
The DRC's Tout-Puissant Mazembe are already on the brink of the quarter-finals of the CAF Champions League. Co-leaders of Group A with South Africa's Mamelodi Sundows (7 points), Les Corbeaux de Lubumbashi could already qualify if they beat third-placed Pyramids of Egypt (4 points), whom they welcome this Saturday, February 24 (13:00 GMT) on Matchday 5 of the group phase. And for their final home game of the group phase, Mazembe can count on one of their key attacking assets, Mali's Cheick Oumar Fofana, to secure their ticket to the quarter-finals ahead of the final matchday.
Easy integration, goalscorer on the continent
Having arrived in Lubumbashi in July 2023, Cheick Oumar Fofana has had no trouble integrating into the Tout-Puissant Mazembe squad. The Malian striker, discovered by Mazembe at AS Real Bamako during the 2022-2023 Confederation Cup, has shown his talent especially in continental competitions, where he is Mazembe's top scorer this season with 5 goals, including one in the experimental edition of the African Football League, and 4 in the Champions League. He set Mazembe on the right track at the start of this year's Champions League by scoring the only goal of the first leg of the preliminary round against Nyassa Big Bullets Club of Malawi in Lilongwe, giving Mazembe a prestigious away win, the first for the Crows in the Champions League for almost a decade.He then scored one of Mazembe's four goals in the return leg against the same club in Lubumbashi.
Cheick Oumar Fofana was again Mazembe's saviour in the fourth matchday of the group phase against Mauritanian club Nouadhibou FC. Just as the game was heading for a goalless draw, the Malian striker delivered the Badiangwena by scoring a brace (80th and 90+4), giving the Crows a precious victory and one of the top two places in their group after four matches.
GOAL! Cheick Fofana heads home the opener. TP Mazembe 1-0 ES Tunis
Watch live and replay on https://t.co/DIk5JeITof 🔥 pic.twitter.com/ZDYRMGpT7x
— afl_africa (@afl_africa) October 22, 2023
A talent with room for improvement
At 20 years of age, Cheick Oumar Fofana is one of the players on whom the hopes of Tout-Puissant Mazembe fans rest. But the Malian striker still has room for improvement, according to sports analyst Fabrice Tshita Itala. "I think he has incredible skills. He's quick, he has incredible vision and he's a leader with his quality, his confidence on the pitch and his courage to always go one-on-one (dribbling). But he needs to make a few adjustments to his final touch, even though he's already Mazembe's top scorer in the Champions League," he declared. On his part, Joël Banewa, another sports analyst, thinks that Cheick Oumar Fofana is good, even if he's not the best player in the club's history. "He stands out from the crowd, he's got something special. He's a real footballer, and the fact that he's in an average team makes him an extra player. He's at a good level, but Mazembe have had better," he confided.
With a little more work, Cheick Oumar Fofana could well look forward to a bright future with Mazembe and make a name for himself with this legendary club from the African continent.
