Group C draw sets the stage
Sunday’s draw in Johannesburg ended the suspense for AS Otohô supporters. The Congolese champions were placed in Group C of the CAF Confederation Cup alongside South Africa’s Stellenbosch FC, Algeria’s CR Belouizdad and Tanzania’s Singuida Black Stars.
The Confederation of African Football released the full calendar minutes after the ceremony, giving coaches a precious window to study travel logistics and climate variations across three time zones. Group matches begin on 23 November and finish on 15 February, a compressed but intense schedule.
Opening trip to Stellenbosch
AS Otohô’s journey starts in the Western Cape against Stellenbosch, a side currently unbeaten at home in domestic competition. Coach Guy Noël Tchikaya acknowledged the challenge, noting that ‘first impressions can shape a whole campaign’, in comments relayed by Radio Congo Sport.
Altitude is low in Cape Town, yet the late spring heat can sap legs unfamiliar with coastal humidity. The technical staff plan to travel four days earlier to secure acclimatisation sessions and friendly minutes against a local university squad, if visas are cleared in time.
Belouizdad brings North African flair
A week later, Brazzaville will vibrate for the first continental night of the season. CR Belouizdad arrive with the reputation of three straight Algerian league titles and recent Champions League experience. Their quick passing lines up perfectly with the quick synthetic surface at Complexe d’Oyo.
Belouizdad’s coach Marcos Paquetá told Algerian outlet Compétition that his men ‘respect every opponent but fear none’, hinting at squad rotation because of a congested domestic calendar. AS Otohô analysts have already clipped video of winger Mohammed Belkhir, whose diagonal dribbles can unlock the tightest block.
Tough Tanzanian altitude test
The longest trip falls on 25 January with a trek to Dodoma, then a bus to Singida, where Black Stars enjoy raucous provincial support. The Tanzanian debutants upset Al-Hilal in the playoff round and rely on the high pressing style fashionable in the Mainland Premier League.
Midfielder Prince Ibara admitted to Les Dépêches de Brazzaville that playing on the Singida grass pitch at 1 500 metres will be ‘a mental game as much as a physical one’. Oxygen tents have been requisitioned at Oyo’s training ground to simulate the conditions.
Home support as twelfth man
The reverse fixtures promise carnival atmospheres in north Congo. On 1 February Singuida travel to the Alfred Mokouma Stadium, renamed this year in honour of the late federation president. Ticket prices, capped at 2 000 FCFA, aim to ensure families and students fill the 15 000 seats.
Eight days later Stellenbosch return, offering local supporters a glimpse of South African starlet Devin Titus. Organisers requested a late-afternoon kick-off to suit television partners Télé Congo and SABC Sport while avoiding the fiercest midday sun, traditionally blamed for cramps on the all-weather pitch.
History and qualification maths
Qualification rules stay simple: the first two teams progress to quarter-finals. AS Otohô finished third in 2018 and fourth in 2022, falling short by a point each time. Club president Jean-Alexandre Obami says the objective is ‘minimum seven points at home, something non-negotiable’.
Statisticians at CafOnline note that since 2010, clubs securing ten points overall advance 88 % of the time. That benchmark would require at least one away victory, meaning the Stellenbosch opener or Singida trip loom as pivotal moments for the Congolese hopefuls.
New faces, fresh confidence
Inside the dressing room optimism remains grounded. Captain Dimitri Mbangou stressed that the squad’s average age is only 24, yet most players already feature in the national team’s CHAN selections. ‘We have tasted hostile crowds in Ndola and Luanda; nothing can intimidate us anymore,’ he added.
The club recruited three experienced heads during the off-season: goalkeeper Christoffer Mafoumbi, striker Exaucé Ngono and Ivorian defender Souleymane Koné. Technical director Serge Mayanga believes their continental mileage will prove priceless in managing pressure swings between home legs and demanding travel.
Logistics, digital buzz and small margins
Behind the scenes, the city council of Oyo has budgeted extra buses and river shuttles to ferry fans from Brazzaville and Pointe-Noire on matchdays. Mobile vendors promise affordable snacks, responding to last season’s criticism over stadium food prices that soared above average street rates.
Telecommunications partners Airtel and MTN will activate 4G boosters around the arena to guarantee uninterrupted streaming on social platforms. Influencer Lydie LaFlamme confirmed a pre-game TikTok live, underlining how football content is now consumed, shared and debated instantly across Congo’s young connected demographic.
Set-pieces remain a decisive variable. Last season AS Otohô converted only two of 27 corners in Africa. Assistant coach Walfrid Kilembe hired a specialist who uses drone footage to refine near-post runs.
If margins are slim, mental stamina may decide everything. Psychologist Dr Émilie Okemba leads weekly mindfulness drills and breathing work for noisy arenas. ‘Our mantra is simple: stay present, stay fearless,’ she says, mirroring the club’s dream of finally reaching the quarter-finals.
