NAIROBI, December 16- Harambee Stars striker Allan Wanga says he is optimistic of making an impact on the continental scene with Sudanese giants El Mereikh next season.
Wanga helped them to win the Cecafa Kagame Cup and the Sudanese FA Cup, thereby earning a ticket to play in the CAF Confederations Cup next year in his six months with them this year after switching from AFC Leopard’s Den.
The former Tusker FC, Sofapaka and Petro Atletico Luanda hit man scored seven goals for his club in the league to establish himself one of the best assets of the team.
With his current contract ending in June 2015, Wanga has intimated he might put pen to paper on a new deal despite huge interest from clubs in South Africa and Tunisia.
“I enjoyed so much the six months I spent there and more so because I picked up almost immediately. Negotiations are already in place for a new contract once the current one ends in June and I am optimistic I will have a new deal.
“There has been interest from many clubs but I think I want to stay where I’m more comfortable and believe that is the case here,” Wanga told Capital Sport.
The team is currently in Cairo, Egypt for their pre-season preparations and they will head to Doha, Qatar in January where they are set to play two friendly matches against European giants Paris Saint Germain from the French Ligue 1 and Shalke 04 from the German Bundesliga at the Khaliffa International Stadium.
“What I love most about this team is that they take football as a business and invest heavily in it. It is not common to see African teams invest heavily in pre-season preparations and this shows that this is a team with ambition.
“Of course I am excited we will play with big European clubs in pre-season and as a player, you always want to match up against the best,” Wanga added.
Mereikh appointed former Togo and Ethiopia coach Diego Garzitto to take over the job from caretaker manager Mohsen Said who was handling the club after German Otto Pfister was shown the door in May.
It will not be unfamiliar waters for Garzitto who has worked with Mereikh’s arch rivals Al Hilal Omdurman.
“We have just interacted with him shortly in pre-season and I think he is a good coach and a professional. I am looking forward to working with him,” Wanga explained.
The striker hopes to have a better season and among his targets are to reach the Confederations Cup Group stages.
He says; “Mereikh have a good history in CAF competitions though in the last two years they have not performed as well. My target with them is to reach the Group stages and with the current crop of players we have, I know we can make it,”
“We also missed the league title by a point on the last day of the league and I would like to see to it that we win it this coming season. I also want to be the club’s and league top scorer after coming second in only six months I played in the past season. I am working very hard for these ambitions and I am certain I will achieve them,” he added.
