27 January 2011
The 2011 CAF African Champions League gets underway this weekend, with no less than 46 teams competing in the first leg matches of the preliminary round.
A further nine seeded teams Al Ittihad (Libya), Al Merreikh (Sudan), Dynamos (Zimbabwe), Esperance (Tunisia), Stade Malien (Mali), Al-Hilal (Sudan), TP Mazembe (DR Congo), ES Setif (Algeria) and Al Ahly (Egypt) lie in wait in the second phase of the competition, which kicks-off on the weekend of March 18-20.
Among the former competition winners who will be in action this weekend is Enyimba of Nigeria, who travel to Brazzaville in the Congo for their showdown with Saint Michel dOuenze.
Five-time winners Zamalek of Egypt have an intriguing match-up with Ulinzi Stars of Kenya. Stars coach Benjamin Nyangweso, says his side need not fear facing the Cairo giants.
On the pitch it would be 11 against 11. So we cannot be cowed by Zamalek, despite their pedigree and rich history in the sport, said Nyangweso.
I know they have a lot of players in their national team, the same team that recently beat Harambee Stars 5-1 in the Nile Basin tournament in Cairo, but this will be a different ball game and we are ready for the challenge.
ASEC Mimosas (Cote dIvoire) and Raja Casablanca (Morocco) have home matches in the first leg against CF Cansado (Mauritania) and Tourbillon (Chad) respectively.
Club Africain of Tunisia have a potentially tricky away match against Rwandas APR, while Wyada Casablanca hosts Ghanaian club Aduana Stars.
Kano Pillars of Nigeria are away to Liberias Mighty Barrolle; Cotonsport of Cameroon travel to Bujumbura, Burundi, for their first leg match against VitalO; and AS Vita of the DR Congo are away to wonderfully-named Zanzibar minnows Ocean View.
South African champions SuperSport United host Lesotho minnows Matlama and the Pretoria club will hope it is the first step on the road to the group stages, which they have failed to qualify for in their two previous participations.
CAF Champions League preliminary qualifying round first leg fixtures:
ASFAN (Niger) v JC Abdijan (Cote dIvoire)
Saint Michel dOuenze (Congo) v Enyimba (Nigeria)
US Bitam (Gabon) v Les Astres (Cameroon)
Olympic Real de Bangui (Central African Republic) v MC Alger (Algeria)
Inter Luanda (Angola) v Township Rollers (Botswana)
East End Lions (Sierra Leone) v Djoliba (Mali)
Diaraf (Senegal) v Port Authority (Gambia)
ASPAC (Benin) v Deportivo Mongomo (Equatorial Guinea)
ASEC Mimosas (Cote dIvoire) v CF Cansado (Mauritania)
Motor Action (Zimbabwe) v CNaps Sports (Madagascar)
Raja Casablanca (Morocco) v Tourbillon (Chad)
Ulinzi Stars (Kenya) v Zamalek (Egypt)
APR (Rwanda) v Club Africain (Tunisia)
Recreativo Caala (Angola) v Saint-George SA (Ethiopia)
Elan Club (Comoros) v Simba (Tanzania)
Mighty Barrolle (Liberia) v Kano Pillars (Nigeria)
Wydad Casablanca (Morocco) v Aduana Stars (Ghana)
Fello Star (Guinea) v ASFA Yennenga (Burkina Faso)
VitalO (Burundi) v Cotonsport (Cameroon)
Ocean View (Zanzibar) v AS Vita (DR Congo)
SuperSport United (South Africa) v Matlama (Lesotho)
Young Buffaloes (Swaziland) v St Michel United (Seychelles)
ZESCO United (Zambia) v Liga Muculmana (Mozambique)
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