Azam cherish friendly tie with TP Mazembe

AZAM Head Coach Denis Lavagne has insisted that facing TP Mazembe is a good test for his team before their crucial CAF Confederation Cup second preliminary round match.

The two teams meet at Levy Mwanawasa Stadium in Ndola, Zambia today for an international friendly match which has been made possible following an invitation from TP Mazembe who have camped in Zambia.

Speaking yesterday in the city before travelling to Zambia, , Lavagne reiterated that in order to do well in the Confederation Cup, they need to engage teams of TP Mazembe caliber so as to assess themselves well.

“The most important thing about this game is for me to know my players well…of course, we do train together but a match is different from normal training sessions.

“Also, it will be a good opportunity for me to know players who were not featured in our previous Premier League match versus Mbeya City,” said the Frenchman tactician who replaced Abdihamid Moallin at the helm of the club.

He added that it is always good to give players a friendly match especially during this period when they expect to have 17 days without playing a competitive game.

He further pointed out that the Zambia trip comprises of twenty players since seven of their charges are on national team duties but he insisted that nothing will be affected by their absence.

This happens to be the second encounter for the French coach to guide the Chamazi giants who have already declared that they want to claim the season’s championship.

Lavagne’s first Premier League match at Azam was a hard-earned 1-0 away victory against Mbeya City at Sokoine Stadium in Mbeya which is usually a difficult venue to escape unhurt.

So far, the Ice Cream makers are placed on fourth slot on the table with 8 points from four matches. They have  won  two matches and drawn two making them among the five teams yet to concede a defeat in the league campaign.