Esperance coach Nabil Maaloul (R) and Wydad of Morocco tactician Decastel
Tunisian side Esperance’s coach, Nabil Maaloul, revealed Monday that a mixture of Moroccan team Wydad Casablanca's tactics and his players' fitness enabled his team to close the game with a 0-0 away draw in the first leg of the CAF Champions League final on Sunday.
“Wydad’s players eased the way for Esperance’s mission as they played with only one striker,” Maaloul was quoted as saying in Moroccan site Al-Botola.
“We reviewed Wydad's previous matches and exploited their weak points,” he added.
A heroic performance by the Esperance players helped them to claim a precious stalemate in Morocco.
On the other hand, Wydad Casablanca's Swiss coach Michel Decastel attributed the result to his side's injury list.
“Injuries forced me to play with only one striker,” Decastel said.
“We lost the services of our brilliant striker Mouhcine Iajour in the game,” the Wydad boss added. “The second leg will be different as our injured players will be available.”
The second leg will be played on 12 November in Tunisia.
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