Flamboyant Democratic Republic of Congo side TP Mazembe have cancelled, their intended training camp in Zimbabwe ahead of their African Champions League match against South African champions Orlando Pirates.
BY MICHAEL MADYIRA
The four-time African champions were on Friday expected in the country where they would have played Highlanders and FC Platinum, before leaving for South Africa five days later for Saturday’s game. But the Lubumbashi outfit on Wednesday advised their Zimbabwean contacts that they were no longer coming following a change of plans.
Sources close to those who were organising the matches said the mega-rich Congolese are now camped elsewhere where the club did not disclose, but have expressed interest to tour Zimbabwe if they sail past Orlando Pirates.
The Lamine N’Diaye-coached side had been slated to play FC Platinum at Barbourfields yesterday, before meeting Highlanders at the same venue on Tuesday, with both matches being played in the evening. All their training sessions were meant to be conducted in the evening to prepare for the Pirates night match.
“From the onset, they [TP Mazembe] had indicated that they were considering two plans of which one of them was coming to Zimbabwe. “Ideally, Zimbabwe was their preferred training base because the weather conditions are almost similar to South Africa’s,” said the sources.
“They however opted for the other proposal and have gone to camp elsewhere but made it clear that they would camp here if they qualify for the group stages of the Champions League. FC Platinum and Highlanders are currently doing well in the league so they would have provided stiff challenge for Mazembe,” the sources said.
TP Mazembe were last in the country in 2010 to play Dynamos in the Champions League.
