Fresh from their historic feat at the 2014 Orange African Nations Championship (CHAN) in South Africa, Libyan club Ahly Tripoli will be carrying on the hopes of the country in the second-tier continental club championship.
Ahly Tripoli, which contributed five of the Libyan squad that won the North Africans their first continental silverware including goalkeeper Mohamed Abdaula Nashnush and captain Ali Salama will face Club Olympique de Bamako of Mali in the first leg of the preliminary round of the Orange CAF Confederation Cup.
The match will however take place at the El Menzah Stadium in Tunis on Sunday and much will be expected from the quintet to prove that the performance of Libya at the tournament designed exclusively for footballers playing in their domestic leagues was no fluke.
The 10-time Libyan champions have failed to make their presence felt at the continental level and will be banking on the experience gained by their quintet at the CHAN to go farthest this time.
Prior to that, Malakia FC of South sudan will face former African champions, CARA of Congo in Khartoum on Friday whilst Africa Stars of Namibia lock horns with Petro Atletico of Angola in Windhoek whilst Cameroon debutants, Yong Sports will travel to Brazzaville to face Congolese opponents, FC Konzo.
In Pretoria on Saturday, South African side, Supersport United will engage Gaborone United in an encounter involving clubs from the COSAFA region whilst AS Sonabel travels north to face Difaa Hassani El Jadida of Morocco.
Zimbabwean debutants, How Mine will welcome Chuoni FC of Zanzibar to Bulawayo whilst RSLAF FC of Sierra Leone battles it out with Gamtel of Gambia in Freetown.
Algerian side, CS Constantinois travels to Niamey as guests of ASN Nigelec of Niger, whereas Don Bosco of DR Congo lock horns with SC Victoria Univerisity of Uganda in Lubumbashi. Marley Byekwaso, head coach of the Ugandans expects a tough test from their trip to Lubumbashi against a Don Bosco that has a legion of foreign players including Ernest Sowah and Ibrahim Issaka (Ghana), Joseph Sitali (Zambia) amongst others.
“I must say that we are physically fit and only working on tactical discipline which is also working out very well” Byekwaso told local daily, New Vision before his team’s departure for Lubumbashi.
Former continental champions, Union Douala will battle it out with ASLAD of Chad at the Reunification Stadium in Douala, Cameroon’s largest city.
On Sunday, AFC Leopards of Kenya will be against Defence Stars of Ethiopia in Nairobi whilst Equatoguinean representatives, Panters host debutants, Medeama of Ghana in Malabo.
Liberian side, Red Lions will be eyeing a convincing result against Estrela de Cantanhêz in Monrovia, El Ahly Atbara of South sudan versus FC MK of DR Congo in Khartoum, whilst AS Kigali faces Academie Tchite of Burundi in the Rwandan capital, Kigali.
St Michel of Seychelles will clash with ASSM Elgeco of Madagascar in a battle of ‘islanders’ in Victoria.
The second leg matches will take place on the weekend of 14-16 February and the winners will be joined by Asec Mimosas (Cote d’Ivoire), Ismaily, Wadi Degla (Egypt), Djoliba (Mali), MAS Fes (Morocco), Bayelsa United, Warri Wolves (Nigeria), El Ahly Shandy (Sudan), Etoile du Sahel, CA Bizertin (Tunisia) and Zesco United (Zambia) for the next round.
Fixtures
Friday, January 7, 2014
Malakia FC (South Sudan) vs CARA (Congo)
African Stars (Namibia) vs Atlético Petróleos de Luanda (Angola)
FC Konzo (Congo) vs Yong Sports (Cameroon)
Saturday, January 8, 2014
Supersport United (South Africa) vs Gaborone United (Botswana)
Difaâ Hassani El Jadidi (Morocco) vs AS Sonabel (Burkina Faso)
RSLAF FC (Sierra Leone) vs Gamtel FC (Gambia)
How Mine (Zimbabwe) vs Chuoni Football Team (Zanzibar)
ASN Nigelec (Niger) vs CS Constantinois (Algeria)
CS Don Bosco (DR Congo) vs Sports Club Victoria University (Uganda)
US Douala (Cameroon) vs ASLAD de Moundou (Chad)
Sunday, January 9, 2014
AFC Leopards (Kenya) vs Defence (Ethiopia)
Panters (Equatorial Guinea) vs Medeama (Ghana)
Red Lions FC (Liberia) vs Estrela de Cantanhêz (Guinea Bissau)
El Ahly Atbara (South Sudan) vs FC MK (DR Congo)
Ebusua Dwarfs (Ghana) vs ASC Jaraaf (Senegal)
Azam Football Club (Tanzania) vs Ferroviario Da Beira (Mozambique)
AS Kigali (Rwanda) vs Académie Tchité (Burundi)
Ahly Tripoli (Libya) vs Club Olympique De Bamako (Mali)
St. Michel United (Seychelles) vs ASSM Elgeco Plus (Madagascar)
AS Douane de Lomé (Togo) vs Club Industriel De Kamsar (Guinea)
C.F. Mounana (Gabon) vs Desportivo da Huila (Angola)
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Confederation of African Football (CAF) News
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