Caf Champions League: AmaZulu will not give respect to TP Mazembe - Mulenga twitter facebook reddit twitter facebook reddit

AmaZulu forward Augustine Mulenga has warned Tout Puissant Mazembe they will fight from the first whistle so as to get a positive result to take them to the group stage of the Caf Champions League.

Usuthu failed to take full advantage of playing at home heading into the return leg of their first-round fixture after they battled to a 0-0 draw at Moses Mabhida Stadium on October 15.

Ahead of their second meeting at Stade TP Mazembe on Saturday, the former Orlando Pirates and Zambia international insist they have what it takes to beat the Democratic Republic of Congo giants in their backyard.

'We won't give them respect'

"I think we can look back TP [Mazembe] is a big club with a big history in the African continent and on Saturday I am sure we will go there and fight," Mulenga told Goal.

"We give them respect but this time we won't give them respect because we also want to get a win and proceed to the group stage of the competition and I am sure the game is not going to be easy for us, it is going to be tough but we must work extra hard from the first whistle until the end."

Mulenga also explained their recent 1-0 win against TS Galaxy in a Premier Soccer League fixture will boost their morale heading into the decisive match in DR Congo.

"I am sure the game we played on Tuesday gave us a bit of a boost for Saturday's game because winning away from home is not easy," Mulenga continued.

"We showed the character from the first whistle until the end and I am sure everyone who is here in Congo is looking forward to giving his best so that we can beat Mazembe on Saturday."

'We'll focus on our game'

Ahead of the two team's first meeting, AmaZulu head coach Benni McCarthy reiterated they will not be bothered by TP Mazembe's history of success.

"We couldn't have asked for a more difficult opponent to face. They're one of the powerhouses in Africa," McCarthy said.

"They have a history that you have to respect, but I don't think there's much for us to fear because we've passed that stage where we fear other teams. We respect them for what they've done, but to fear them is something different.

"We'll just be focusing on our game and what we need to do and really not be bothered too much about the opposition and their history. Our goal is to get into the group stages where we can contest against the best and biggest teams in Africa."