'We are confident of reaching Champions League group stage' - Fenerbahce's Alexander Djiku

Ghanaian defender Alexander Djiku expresses a positive outlook regarding Fenerbahce's ambitions to qualify for the UEFA Champions League group stage under the guidance of manager Jose Mourinho.

The Turkish club is preparing to compete against LOSC Lille in the third round of qualifiers, to progress to the subsequent stage of the tournament.

The match is scheduled for Tuesday evening, and the outcome

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In a discussion with the French media outlet L’Equipe, Djiku reflected on Fenerbahce’s previous campaign in the Conference League, where they faced elimination by Olympiacos in the quarter-finals after a penalty shootout.

He acknowledged that such challenges may have arisen earlier but expressed confidence that the team has learned valuable lessons from those experiences.

“Last year, we anticipated facing Lille in the semi-finals of the Conference League, but we were eliminated by Olympiacos on penalties in the quarter-finals (Lille was also ousted by Aston Villa). It could have occurred sooner,” Djiku remarked.

Concerning Lille, Djiku noted the significance of Canadian striker Jonathan David's return from injury but maintained a composed stance.

“Jonathan David is an exceptionally skilled player and a dynamic presence on the field. He is particularly effective in making deep runs. Lille with Jonathan David and Lille without him present two distinct challenges.

"Nonetheless, we did not have a particular preference for our opponent, whether it was Lille or another team. The journey will be challenging, but we remain confident.”