Nations FC head coach Zdravko Logarusic has challenged his players to show greater attacking quality when they face FC Diarra in the second leg of their CAF Confederation Cup preliminary-round tie on Sunday.
The Ghanaian club will welcome the Malian side to the Accra Sports Stadium knowing that they have work to do after suffering a 1-0 defeat in the first leg in Mali.
Nations FC now need to overturn the one-goal deficit on home soil to keep their continental campaign alive, with the pressure firmly on the Ghanaian side to produce a much-improved attacking performance.
For Logarusic, however, finding a reliable goalscorer remains one of the biggest challenges facing teams competing in African football.
The Croatian tactician was blunt in his assessment of the difficulty involved in recruiting or developing a consistent finisher, saying: “It’s very hard to find a goalscorer in Africa.”
His comments underline the importance of Nations FC making the most of their opportunities when FC Diarra arrive in Accra.
The 1-0 first-leg result means Nations FC cannot afford to be wasteful in front of goal. They must score at least once to level the tie, while a victory by two clear goals would put them in a strong position to progress.
Playing at the Accra Sports Stadium is expected to give Nations FC a significant advantage, with the home support likely to play an important role as the team attempts to overturn the result from Mali.
Logarusic will therefore be looking for his attacking players to show greater composure in the final third and convert the chances that come their way.
The Nations FC coach knows that continental football can be decided by small margins, particularly in two-legged ties where one missed opportunity can have a major impact on the outcome.
FC Diarra, meanwhile, will travel to Ghana with the advantage of knowing that even a draw would be enough to send them through, provided they protect their aggregate lead.
That could force the visitors to adopt a cautious approach, especially if Nations FC manage to score early.
For Nations FC, the task is straightforward but demanding: score, avoid conceding and overturn the deficit.
Logarusic’s side will need patience as well as attacking urgency because an early goal could change the complexion of the tie, while conceding would make the task considerably more difficult.
The second leg at the Accra Sports Stadium therefore promises to be a crucial test of Nations FC’s continental ambitions, with the Ghanaian side needing to produce a complete performance to eliminate FC Diarra.
And with Logarusic stressing that quality goalscorers are difficult to find in Africa, the spotlight will be firmly on Nations FC’s forwards to provide the finishing touch that could decide their CAF Confederation Cup fate.
