The struggle to reach the African Champions League semifinals goes down to the wire this weekend with seven clubs hoping to join al-Ahly of Egypt.
Surprise packets Dynamos of Zimbabwe are best placed to accompany al-Ahly from Group A, as victory over Egyptian visitors Zamalek on Sunday will put them in an unassailable position.
A draw in Harare would offer ASEC Mimosas of Côte d’Ivoire the chance to overtake both rivals if they can achieve the near impossible and defeat perennial title favourites al-Ahly in their Cairo fortress.
Zamalek will squeeze through to the penultimate phase of the $3,5-million competition if they defeat Dynamos a second time in the mini-league and ASEC do not garner maximum points.
Unlike previous editions of the premier African Football Confederation club competition, the fixtures will not be staged simultaneously, with the match in Harare kicking off seven hours earlier.
Dynamos, shock conquerors of defending champions Etoile Sahel of Tunisia in the final qualifying round, scored six minutes into stoppage time last weekend via striker Philip Marufu to stun former title holders ASEC 2-1 in Abidjan.
In a pool where an al-Ahly team packed with stars like midfielder Mohamed Aboutraika quickly established supremacy, the Côte d’Ivoire result may ultimately prove decisive in a three-way fight for the second semifinals slot.
Not that Dynamos can afford to be complacent on the artificial turf of Rufaro Stadium, as they lost there to al-Ahly, who had to come from behind last weekend to force a 2-2 draw against depleted Zamalek.
The Egyptians may be under strength again with doubts over defenders Hani Said, who missed the al-Ahly clash after injuring his thigh in a pre-match warm-up, and Mahmoud Fathallah, victim of a knee injury in the Cairo derby.
Major disappointments al-Hilal of Sudan host Tout Puissant Mazembe from the Democratic Republic of Congo on Friday in the opening Group B match followed by Cotonsport Garoua of Cameroon at home to Enyimba of Nigeria on Saturday.
Enyimba, along with al-Ahly and Mazembe the only clubs to successfully defend the African Champions League title since its introduction 43 years ago, have nine points, Mazembe and Cotonsport seven each and al-Hilal five.
Brazilian coach Ricardo Ferreira must regret boasting after a goalless draw at Mazembe that his al-Hilal mix of Sudanese, Nigerian and Mozambican stars would go at least one step further than last year and qualify for the final.
If this was meant to boost morale, it had the opposite effect, with al-Hilal taking a solitary point from a possible nine in their next three outings, including a 4-1 drubbing by Enyimba last Monday in Nigeria.
Midfielder Saif Masawi was sent off in the first half of that match for a cynical tackle and automatically misses the clash with Mazembe, who scored five goals without reply in recent home victories over Enyimba and Cotonsport.
But can a team inspired by dreadlocked striker-cum-captain Mputu Mabi recapture this form in sauna-like Omdurman, where al-Ahly suffered a three-goal meltdown last year?
A draw in Cameroon will guarantee Enyimba a last-four place and also suit Cotonsport, another club to exceed expectations, provided Mazembe do not collect maximum points the previous night.
Al-Hilal can advance if they triumph and Cotonsport lose, an unlikely scenario given the Cameroonians boast a 100% home record in the group phase and Enyimba returned empty-handed from two previous away assignments.
The semifinals are scheduled for the weekends of October 3 to 5 and 17 to 19 and the winners advance to a two-leg final with the victors collecting $1-million and an invitation to the Fifa Club World Cup in Japan. — AFP
