- Medeama Still Alive Despite TP Mazembe Defeat as Tanko Targets Champions League Comeback
Medeama SC head coach Ibrahim Tanko insists the Ghanaian champions remain capable of turning around their CAF Champions League tie against TP Mazembe despite suffering a painful 1-0 first-leg defeat at home in Tarkwa.
The Ghana Premier League champions appeared on course to take the contest into the second leg level after creating several opportunities at the TNA Stadium, but their failure to convert proved costly. Nyembo Ntumba struck in the 87th minute to hand the Congolese giants a crucial advantage heading into the return fixture.
For Medeama, the result represented a particularly frustrating outcome because home advantage had been viewed as an important opportunity to establish control of the tie. Instead, Tanko’s side must now travel to the Democratic Republic of Congo needing to overturn the deficit against one of African club football’s most experienced teams.
Tanko acknowledged the disappointment surrounding the result but drew encouragement from the number of opportunities his players created. He believes the performance showed Medeama can cause Mazembe problems again if they become more clinical in front of goal.
“If you lose a home game, definitely you will be disappointed. The good thing is that we created a lot of chances which we could have scored some goals but unfortunately, we couldn’t. Definitely, I’m disappointed but we have a second chance next Sunday to see what will happen,” Tanko said.
The coach’s emphasis on chance creation will be central to Medeama’s preparations for the return encounter. While the first-leg scoreline favours Mazembe, a one-goal deficit leaves the tie open, provided the Ghanaian side can find the attacking efficiency that deserted them in Tarkwa.
Medeama returned to Africa’s premier club competition after winning the 2025/26 Ghana Premier League title, raising expectations that the club could once again make an impact beyond the domestic stage. Their first-leg performance suggested they were capable of competing with Mazembe, but continental football often punishes teams heavily for failing to take opportunities when they arrive.
That lesson was delivered in the closing stages. Medeama’s inability to capitalise on their chances allowed Mazembe to remain in the contest before Ntumba’s late intervention dramatically changed the complexion of the tie.
The second leg will now test both Medeama’s mentality and tactical discipline. Chasing the game too aggressively could expose them to counter-attacks, while excessive caution would make it difficult to erase Mazembe’s aggregate advantage.
Tanko will therefore have to find the right balance between attacking ambition and defensive organisation. An early Medeama goal could significantly alter the momentum of the contest, while conceding first would make an already difficult assignment considerably harder.
Mazembe’s pedigree will add another layer to the challenge. Playing away in the Democratic Republic of Congo against a side accustomed to high-pressure continental encounters represents a very different proposition from controlling periods of a home match in Tarkwa.
Medeama, however, can take some confidence from the fact that the first-leg contest was decided by only one goal. Their ability to create opportunities means Tanko is unlikely to view the return fixture as a rescue mission so much as another opportunity to execute more effectively in the decisive areas of the pitch.
The Ghanaian champions are scheduled to travel to the Democratic Republic of Congo for the second leg on Saturday, September 12. Their task is straightforward: overturn Mazembe’s one-goal advantage and keep their CAF Champions League campaign alive.
Beyond Medeama’s own ambitions, the fixture carries wider significance for Ghanaian football because the Tarkwa-based club is the country’s sole representative in the CAF Champions League. Progress would therefore preserve Ghana’s presence in Africa’s most prestigious club competition and provide an important continental test for the domestic champions.
For Tanko, the first leg has already provided the central lesson. Medeama showed they can create against Mazembe, but continental progression will depend on turning those openings into goals.
The defeat in Tarkwa has made the route considerably harder, but not impossible. Medeama’s Champions League future will now depend on whether the “second chance” Tanko speaks about can be converted into the clinical performance his side failed to produce at home.
