Scouts of Kotoko will have done their research on ES Setif, but here’s everything fans need to know about their opponents in the playoff of the CAF Confederation Cup.
One of the most successful clubs in Algeria
The Black Eagles as they affectionately known in Setif are one of the most successful football clubs in the North African country, having won the Algerian Ligue Professionnelle eight times and the Algerian Cup a record of eight times. They are a force to reckon with especially when they play at their 25,000 capacity Stade 8 Mai 1945 stadium.
Continental Laurels
ES Setif are one of only three Algerian clubs to have won the CAF Champions League, winning it twice in 1988 and 2014.
They have also won the Arab Champions League twice, in 2007 and 2008, as well as three North African Cups. In 2015, they became the first Algerian club to with the CAF Super Cup by beating Egypt’s Al Ahly.
Are they playing good?
Kotoko’s draw with the ES Setif looked good on paper vis-a-vis the other potential opponents, but every team could be a banana skin for the Porcupine Warriors, and the Black Eagles are no different. They are on a very good run in the Algerian league as they lead the log with six games played.
They have won five and drawn game accumulating a total of 16 points. They’ve scored 9 and conceded 1 in the same number of games played. Kotoko cannot afford to underestimate them.
Danger men
The man to look out for is Mohammed El Amine Amoura. The 20-year-old left-winger is fine form. He has netted four goals in six games for the Black Eagles in the Algerian league, using his history as a tricky winger to find ways past defenders with regularity.
Amoura is a real handful for defenders as he likes to use his pace and dribbling prowess to his advantage. He holds the ball well and loves to bring in his fellow forwards.
In midfield, it’s Malian international Malick Toure who provides most of the creativity. He is a joy to watch when in possession and when he decides to dribble past players. It is not rare to see him go past two or three of them in just one of his runs.
With his magnetic left foot, he has the penchant of faking a pass, faking a shot, faking a direction in movement before he bursts away and leaves his markers chasing shadows. His team-mates and fans alike find it amusing. His opponents, however, don’t find it amusing.
Strengths and Weaknesses
As a club, ES Setif are well versed in continental competitions. The focus will primarily be on their technical proficiency, but this ES Setif side is strong defensively and has only conceded just once in six games in the Algerian top-flight division. That resilience has got them through tight games against USM Alger and Hussein Dey, while dominating possession will always limit the number of goalscoring chances an opponent will have.
They Eliminated Aduana Stars in 2018
The Setif based club in March 2018 thrashed Ghanaian side Aduana Stars 4-0 to progress to the group stage of the CAF Champions League. Aduana Stars had won the first leg 1-0 but had to succumb to such a humiliating result in the reverse fixture in Setif.
