LEADING by one goal from last week's first leg, Azam FC will visit Rwandan champions APR FC at Kigali Pele Stadium this afternoon as they conclude their CAF Champions League qualifying tie.

The victory in Dar es Salaam has put Azam within reach of a place in the playoffs. 

If Youssouf Dabo's side can overcome APR, they will face either Egyptian giants Pyramids or Zanzibar’s JKU for a spot in the CAF Champions League group stage.

Pyramids seem almost certain to advance to the next round after a commanding 6-0 win over Zanzibar champions JKU in the first leg.

After failing to progress past the first preliminary round last time, Azam are more determined than ever to advance and qualify for the CAF Champions League group stage for the first time in their history.

Dabo is confident his team has the quality needed to move past the Rwandan champions.

"We achieved our target in the first leg, which was to win, although the margin was narrow. We know in the second leg in Kigali, APR will come at us from the start, so we need to be prepared defensively and capitalize on our chances," said Dabo.

“APR is a team that doesn’t concede many goals because they are well-organized defensively, but now they are in a situation where they need to play more offensively. Of course, when you play that way, you leave space, and we will see how they manage that situation.

“We also need to be strong mentally and continue playing our football because we have enough quality to win in Rwanda,” he added.

Dabo will be counting on the form of forwards Feisal Salum, Jhonier Blanco, Franck Tiesse, and Gibril Sillah. 

He will also rely on a solid defensive line featuring goalkeeper Mohamed Mustafa, Lusajo Mwaikenda, Pascal Msindo, Yannick Bangala, and Yeison Fuentes David to keep APR's strikers at bay.

Like Azam, APR have never qualified for the CAF Champions League group stage, but they are eager to earn a spot among Africa's elite this season. 

With the aggregate lead standing at just 1-0 in favor of Azam, APR are still very much in contention for the CAF Champions League group stage.

The Rwandan side has not yet started their local league campaign, but they recently reached the CECAFA Dar Port Kagame Cup final last month, showcasing their competitive form.