CAF Champions League 2010

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Zizou to watch JSK play Champions League match

February 11, 2010 -- Football legend Zinedine Zidane will attend the African Champions League match between JS Kabylie and Gambia Armed Forces FC in Tizi-Ouzou on February 28th, Echorouk reported on Thursday (February 11th). Zidane will be joined on the trip to the Kabylie region by his father and fellow international football stars. On March 1st, Zidane and other members of the 1998 World Cup champion French national team will participate in an Algiers futsal gala celebrating the Greens.

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CAF Champions League gets underway this weekend

February 12, 2010 -- The long journey to continental glory, and with it a berth at the 2010 FIFA Club World Cup, commences for African clubs this weekend with the first leg fixtures in the preliminary round of the CAF Champions League. A total of 48 teams will compete in the opening stage of the competition, playing a knockout round over two legs. The aggregate winners will be joined by eight more teams in the first round next month, before a third knockout round determines the eight teams for the final league phase.

For the first time, two representatives from Libya and Zimbabwe were in the draw, along with the 12 other countries that have previously enjoyed the privilege of entering more than one team. It means a stronger field for the competition, which last year was characterised by early shock defeats for the favourites and eventually won by TP Mazembe of the Democratic Republic of Congo. They beat Heartland of Nigeria over two legs in last year’s final, claiming their third continental title almost four decades after they had last been crowned kings of African club football. Extensive investment into the club by Katanga governor Moise Katumbi has transformed Mazembe into a formidable, and now, cosmopolitan outfit. They have already begun preparations for the defence of their title by returning to Zimbabwe, the site of their pre-season camp last year in the lead-up to their triumph last November. Mazembe, who won consecutive continental trophies in the late 60s, were given a bye for this weekend’s first round, but they await the winner of the tie between Rwanda’s APR FC and Angolan newcomers Recreativo Libolo.

Egypt’s Al-Ahly have been the dominant club in the Champions League in this millennium, winning it four times in the 2000s, but they were surprisingly eliminated on away goals by Kano Pillars of Nigeria in the final knockout round last May. However, their pedigree remains beyond doubt, and it has indeed been enhanced in recent weeks by the form of their key players while with the Egyptian national side during their winning performance at the Africa Cup of Nations in Angola. Al-Ahly have also been given a bye to the second round, where they will take on either Mafunzo FC of Zanzibar or Gunners FC from Zimbabwe … two sides making their debut in continental club competition. This year’s Champions League field also includes eight other former champions: Asec Abidjan (Ivory Coast), Asante Kotoko (Ghana), Ismaili (Egypt), Raja Casablanca (Morocco), JS Kabylie (Algeria), Entente Sétif (Algeria), Orlando Pirates (South Africa) and Esperance (Tunisia).

It is a big year for South African football with the hosting of the 2010 World Cup, and the country’s two-time champions SuperSport United have built a formidable squad in the domestic league, where they are on course to win the title for a third successive season. Last year in the Champions League, SuperSport were embarrassingly eliminated early on by Ugandan opposition, but they have promised to do better this year, and even while losing some key players to South African national team training camps over the next six months, they still have plenty of depth at their disposal. SuperSport open the tournament with a relatively straightforward trip across the border to Swaziland on Sunday against Mbabane Swallows. Petro Atletico of Luanda are another team with plentiful resources, and under experienced Portuguese coach Bernardino Pedroto they proved their ability with successive Girabola titles, suggesting that this year will provide the ideal opportunity to stake a bigger claim on the continent. Their first tie is in Equatorial Guinea, where they meet Ela Nguema at the weekend in Malabo.

Fixtures:

APR FC (Rwanda) - Recreativo Libolo (Angola)
Djoliba (Mali) - Al Ahli Benghazi (Libya)
ASC Linguere (Senegal) - Asante Kotoko (Ghana)
Sofapaka (Kenya) - Ismaili (Egypt)
US Tamponnaise (Reunion) - Ajesaia (Madagascar)
Fello Star (Guinea) - Raja Casablanca (Morocco)
Ela Nguema (Equatorial Guinea) - Petro Atletico (Angola)
Sahel SC (Niger) - Club Africain (Tunisia)
Armed Forces (Gambia) - JS Kabylie (Algeria)
Gazelle (Chad) - Bayelsa United (Nigeria)
St Georges (Ethiopia) - Al Merreikh (Sudan)
East End Lions (Sierra Leone) - Esperance (Tunisia)
AS Stade Mandji (Gabon) - ASFA Yenega (Burkina Faso)
La Passe (Seychelles) - Curepipe Stralight (Mauritius)
Gaborone United (Botswana) - Orlando Pirates (South Africa)
Young Africans (Tanzania) - FC St Eloi Lupopo (DR Congo)
Mafunzo (Zanzibar) - Gunners FC (Zimbabwe)
AS Tempete Mocaf (Central African Republic) - Al Ittihad (Libya)
Balantas Mansoa (Guinea Bissau) - DH Jadida (Morocco)
Uganda Revenue Authority (Uganda) - Zanaco (Zambia)
Diables Noirs (Congo) - Entente Setif (Algeria)
Vital’O (Burundi) - Tiko United (Cameroon)
Mbabane Swallows (Swaziland) - SuperSport United (South Africa)
AC Mitsamiouli (Comoros) - Ferroviario Maputo (Mozambique)

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Uganda's URA win in African Champions League

February 12, 2010 -- Uganda's URA beat Zanaco of Zambia 1-0 in the first of 24 first-round, first-leg fixtures over the weekend. Manko Kawesa scored the winner in injury time. Elsewhere on the continent three-time winners Raja Casablanca of Morocco are among eight former title holders in action. Club Africain and Esperance of Tunisia, Algerian duo JS Kabylie and Entente Setif and Egyptian outfit Ismailia will be there. While Ghana's Asante Kotoko and South Africa's Orlando Pirates are the other former champions with first round assignments. All are taking the first step on a journey that will involve 16 fixtures if they go all the way. The winner will collect a 1.5-million-dollar cheque and secure a place at the year-end FIFA Club World Cup. Defending champions TP Mazembe of DR Congo are among eight clubs to receive byes into the second round of a competition first staged 45 years ago. And the determination of the Congolese 'Crows' from the southern city of Lubumbashi to retain the trophy is reflected in the 10-million-dollar budget allocated for the title defence. The other seven sides automatically through to the second round include Al Ahly of Egypt, African champions a record six times and inevitable favourites to raise the cup come November. ASEC Mimosas of Ivory Coast and Union Douala of Cameroon also skip the first round, the former on merit and the latter because the Sao Tome e Principe champions withdrew without explanation. It remains a mystery why clubs enter the CAF club competitions every year only to quit before a ball is kicked, incurring a three-year ban and a fine most can ill afford.

Popularly known as the 'Green Devils', Raja were the first winners of the premier Caf club competition when it was renamed and revamped in 1997. They conquered Africa again two years later and were 2002 runners-up. But since then the best the Moroccans managed was a semi-finals place. They did not even qualify for the last three editions of a competition they also won in 1989 when known as the African Champions Cup. Raja are away in the first leg to Fello Star of Guinea, a club based in Labe 400 kilometres north east of capital city Conakry who have made two previous appearances without reaching the group phase. Other former champions playing in west Africa are Kotoko, who face ASC Linguere of Senegal. Esperance meet East End Lions of Sierra Leone, and Kabylie play Armed Forces of Gambia. Ismailia take on debutants Sofapaka in Kenya and Club Africain meet Sahel in Niger. Entente Setif confront Diables Noir in Congo and Pirates travel north to neighbouring Botswana for a showdown with Gaborone United. Expensively assembled Al-Merreikh of Sudan, who failed to win a game after reaching the group stage last year, are away to Saint George, an Ethiopian team long on African experience but short on success.

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Ligue des champions d’Afrique
Diables Noirs (Congo) – ES Sétif aujourd’hui à 15 h :
Re-bonjour l’Afrique

Dimanche 14 Février 2010 -- Finaliste de la précédente coupe de la Confédération africaine, l’Entente de Sétif replonge dans la compétition continentale en donnant, aujourd’hui, la réplique aux Diables noirs du Congo, et ce dans le cadre du tour préliminaire de la Ligue des champions d’Afrique. Conduite par le secrétaire du club, Rachid Djerroudi, la délégation sétifienne, composée de 29 personnes dont 18 joueurs, a rallié la capitale congolaise après un périple harassant, en transitant par Casablanca (Maroc) puis par Douala (Cameroun). Le groupe est parti avec un bon moral, après avoir arraché un précieux point, suite à sa confrontation, dans la soirée de mardi dernier au stade du 5-Juillet, devant le leader algérois, pour la mise à jour du championnat national. Le staff technique et les supporters des Noir et Blanc ont exprimé, en effet, leur satisfecit quant au résultat mais aussi à la prestation des éléments alignés dans cette empoignade, surtout que la mission était loin d’être facile, notamment sur le plan physique, avec, en sus, un terrain à la limite du praticable. Il faut rappeler, dans ce contexte, que l’équipe sétifienne, qui a subi une trêve forcée de 40 jours, a eu entre-temps seulement deux matchs dans les jambes, à savoir celui du MCA mardi dernier, et celui de l’USMAn, disputé quatre jours plus tôt à Sétif.

Pour en revenir au match d’aujourd’hui, il faut dire que les Algériens n’ont que peu d’informations sur leur adversaire. Ce dernier a disputé, apprend-on, un match amical dimanche dernier sur son terrain, et s’est incliné par 2 buts à 1 contre l’équipe de Vita Club de l’autre Congo (Kinshasa). Certaines sources affirment, en outre, que le championnat du Congo est à l’arrêt depuis deux mois. Ce qui devrait constituer une aubaine pour les gars des Hauts Plateaux, qui devront affronter un adversaire en manque de compétition. L’objectif de cette première mission africaine est de revenir au pays avec un résultat probant, pour permettre à l’équipe d’entrevoir, dans la tranquillité, le match retour, prévu à Sétif le 28 février prochain. «Nous allons déployer les efforts nécessaires pour réussir la meilleure performance possible pour rentrer avec un résultat satisfaisant et garder, par-là même, intactes nos chances de qualification au prochain tour», a déclaré le coach sétifien, avant le départ de l’équipe en direction de Brazzaville. Pour terminer la partie en leur faveurs, les enfants d’Aïn Fouara peuvent en effet compter sur le riche potentiel de leur groupe et sur l’expérience, acquise depuis quelques années déjà, dans les joutes continentales.

Par ailleurs, ce déplacement des Ententistes est marqué par quelques absences, à l’image de Fahem Bouaza, dont le comportement inadmissible lors du match du MCA – il a refusé son remplacement à la fin de la première manche – lui valu la sanction immédiate du coach N. Zekri, qui l’a retiré de la liste de la délégation, prévue pour le voyage à Brazzaville. Le second absent n’est autre que le gardien Fouzi Chaouchi, dont on dit qu’il est convalescent depuis son retour d’Angola avec l’équipe nationale, alors que Rafik Bouderbal n’est pas qualifié pour cette compétition africaine. A souligner enfin que le match a été confié à un trio arbitral tchadien, sous la direction d’Adam Kodrier.

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JSK defeat Gambian Armed Forces in Champions League competition

JS Kabylie beat Gambian Armed Forces 2-1 on Saturday (February 13th) in Banjul, Gambia in a CAF Champions League preliminary round match, DZFoot.com reported. Fares Hamiti and Mohamed Amine Aoudia scored for JSK. Esperance drew 2-2 against the East End Lions on Saturday, while Difaa El Jadida and Balantas Mansoa played to a goalless draw in Guinea-Bissau. In the Confederation Cup in Tripoli, El Tersana drew 1-1 with CR Belouizdad. Algerian Youssef Saibi scored a 41st-minute goal, while Egyptian Ahmed Kraoua equalised from a penalty in injury time. AS Coton and Ahly Tripoli played to a goalless draw.

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Ligue des champions :
La JSK vainqueur à Banjul, l'ESS battue à Brazzaville

Lundi 15 Février 2010 -- Les deux clubs algériens engagés en Ligue des champions d'Afrique ont connu des fortunes diverses en match aller du tour préliminaire de cette compétition. Samedi, en déplacement à Banjul, la JS Kabylie a battu la formation gambienne des Forces armées sur le score de 2 à 1 prenant ainsi une sérieuse option pour la qualification au prochain tour. Les buts de la rencontre ont été inscrits par Hamiti (45') et Aoudia (66') pour la JS Kabylie et Mongolo (85') pour les Forces armées. Hier, pour son entrée en lice dans cette compétition à Brazzaville, l'ES Sétif s'est inclinée face aux Diables Noirs sur le score de 3 buts à 2. Lamouri Djediat, sur coup-franc, et Lazhar Hadj Aïssa ont inscrit les deux buts sétifiens qui permettent à l'ESS de garder ses chances en prévision du match retour.

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JSK snatch Champions League win

February 15, 2010 -- JS Kabylie made their first appearance in the 2010 CAF Champions League on February 13th in Banjul, defeating Gambia Armed Forces 2-1 in a preliminary round match. JSK scored both of their goals in the second half, thanks to strikers Fares Hamiti in the 47th and Mohamed Amine Aoudia in the 56th. GAF only managed to net the ball after JSK defender Said Belkalem scored an own goal. "It was a good match and we're happy with the result," JSK trainer Alain Geiger told reporters after the match. "We were able to control the game from the first half and had good chances against a very good side, but we deserved to win. You can't recognise the strength of the Armed Forces, because we were the better side on this day." Also on Saturday, CR Belouizdad met Libyan team El Tersana and drew 1-1. Youssef Saibi scored in the 41st minute for CRB, but El Tersana snatched the victory away in the 95th minute, as Ahmed Kraoua equalised on a penalty. Elsewhere in the competition, on Sunday, ES Setif fell to the Diables Noirs of Congo 3-2. Though midfielder Lamour Djediat scored in the 16th, followed by Lazhar Hadj Aissa in the 81st, the team was no match for the dominant Congolese side.