AS FAR Group: JS Kabylie Coach: "Perhaps We Are Not the Favorites, But Facing Top-Level Opponents Is What We Want to Develop Our Team"

Joseph Zinnbauer, head coach of Algerian club JS Kabylie, expressed satisfaction with the challenging draw that placed his team in a group alongside Egyptian giants Al Ahly, Morocco's AS FAR, and Tanzania's Young Africans in the CAF Champions League group stage.

In a statement published on the official CAF website, Zinnbauer noted that Group B is considered one of the strongest in the competition, both historically and in terms of resources. However, he affirmed that JS Kabylie would approach the competition with minimal pressure and an ambition to develop from one match to the next.

The German coach elaborated: “I think we have been drawn into one of the toughest groups; the opponents are very big teams. In the CAF Champions League, all clubs are big.”

He continued: “Al Ahly are the clear favorites, we all know that, but AS FAR and Young Africans are also among the biggest clubs on the African continent, and they have huge budgets.”

Despite acknowledging the difficulty of the task, the Algerian club's coach emphasized that participation itself is a significant gain for the team. He stated: “You cannot buy such experience. We have worked hard to build what we have, and our presence here is well-deserved.”

Zinnbauer indicated that his team would play without pressure: “We enter this competition feeling comfortable and without pressure. Perhaps we are not the favorites in this group, and perhaps even at the bottom of the standings if we look at recent years, because the other teams are accustomed to appearing in the Champions League, and we have less experience than them.”

The German coach concluded by reaffirming the team's identity and fighting spirit: “We are happy to be back in the CAF Champions League. It's a tough competition, but facing top-level opponents on the continent is exactly what we want to develop our team.”