Medeama SC are preparing to board for the Democratic Republic of Congo, carrying both the sting of a narrow home defeat and the stubborn belief that their CAF Champions League journey is far from finished. The first preliminary-round meeting at Tarkwa’s TNA Stadium ended 1-0 to TP Mazembe after substitute Lise Ntumba Nyembo finished a swift counter-attack in the 87th minute, a late blow that silenced a crowd that had watched their side match the five-time African champions for long stretches.
The Ghanaian champions created the clearer chances across both halves, with Dominic Amponsah denied from close range and Emmanuel Annor testing Marc Diouf after the interval, yet they left the pitch empty-handed and now face the unforgiving arithmetic of a one-goal deficit on the road.
The Mauves travel knowing exactly what is required. A 1-0 victory in Lubumbashi would force extra time and possibly penalties; anything less and their campaign ends at the first hurdle. A two-goal win would send them through on aggregate.
Coach Ibrahim Tanko has already spoken of disappointment mixed with conviction, pointing to the volume of opportunities his players manufactured in Tarkwa and insisting the second meeting offers a genuine chance to rewrite the tie. His opposite number, Slimane Raho, has been equally measured, praising Medeama as a very good team and warning that qualification must still be confirmed on home soil rather than assumed. Both camps understand the venue: TP Mazembe’s fortress in Lubumbashi, where the atmosphere at Stade TP Mazembe or the Kamalondo ground has historically swallowed visiting sides.
This is not the first time the two clubs have crossed paths. A decade earlier they met in the CAF Confederation Cup, each winning on home turf, so there is a thin thread of familiarity amid the disparity in continental pedigree. TP Mazembe remain one of Africa’s most decorated clubs, even if their last Champions League title came in 2015.
Medeama, Ghana Premier League winners last season, return to the competition after an absence and carry the modest but real ambition of reaching the group stage for the first time since 2022-23. Club officials have spoken of a substantial campaign budget and a desire not merely to participate but to compete for the trophy itself, language that now meets the immediate, unforgiving test of an away leg in the Copperbelt.
The journey itself is part of the story. A Ghanaian side flying into the DRC for a weekend fixture must manage travel, acclimatisation, and the knowledge that every misplaced pass will be punished by a crowd that expects its team to finish the job.
Medeama will travel with a full contingent of players, technical staff and officials, hoping the same organisation that produced a competitive first-leg display can now produce the clinical edge that was missing at home. Felix Kyei, who kept them in the contest with several important saves in Tarkwa, will again be central. So will the attackers who found space but not the net last Sunday.
