SuperSport United must defy the odds this weekend to beat Nigerian visitors Heartland and boost the image of South Africa in the African Champions League.
Orlando Pirates are the only South African team to win the premier pan-African club competition and they made a shock first round exit this year.
A loss to international minnows Gaborone United of Botswana embarrassed the Buccaneers and a country that has slipped spectacularly after the triumphs of Pirates in 1995 and the national team at the African Nations Cup a year later.
SuperSport lack goalkeeper Emile Baron, defenders Morgan Gould and David Kannemeyer and striker Glen Salmon through injury and centreback Bongani Khumalo is attending a pre-World Cup training camp in Germany.
United had to switch the floodlit first leg of the final round qualifier on Saturday from their unavailable Super Stadium home in the Pretoria township of Atteridgeville to the Rand Stadium.
Early exits from the Telkom Knockout Cup and Nedbank Cup competitions did not help morale, nor constant media reports linking three league title-coach Gavin Hunt to big-spending Pretoria neighbours Mamelodi Sundowns.
Hunt, also rated a contender for the national post which Brazilian Carlos Alberto Parreira vacates after the Soccer World Cup, longs for African success after an unexpected second round loss to Kampala City Council of Uganda last year.
However, SuperSport did not impress in previous rounds this year as they were held 2-2 at home by Mbabane Swallows of Swaziland and barely survived against Ferroviario Maputo after a 2-0 loss in Mozambique.
Heartland, sole Nigerian challengers after the surprise early elimination of Bayelsa United, suffered the heartbreak of losing the final last year to TP Mazembe on the away-goal rule in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Expected to be much stronger than Tiko United of Cameroon this month after a 2-2 away draw, they snatched an equaliser four minutes from full-time via Emmanuel Omodiagbe to squeeze through thanks to the same rule.
Hyper-ambitious Mazembe continue their defence away to regular African campaigners Djoliba, a Malian club that has never progressed beyond the third round, scored only twice in four 2010 outings but conceded just one goal.
Mazembe, bankrolled by the political leader of the copper-rich southern Katanga province where the club are based, have invested $10-million to try and retain the trophy.
The ‘Crows’ should prove too strong for Djoliba in a home-and-away tie, but the likely mid-year transfer of captain, playmaker and consistent scorer Mputu Mabi to a European club must weaken their challenge.
Al-Ahly of Egypt, African champions a record six times, lack injured striker Emad Moteab against Al-Ittihad in Libya while compatriots Ismailia confront Al-Hilal of Sudan in Omdurman.
Both Algerian challengers are former title holders and they enjoy home advantage first with JS Kabylie meeting Petro Atletico of Angola while Entente Setif play Zanaco of Zambia.
Fixtures between high scorers Esperance of Tunisia and Al-Merreikh of Sudan in Tunis and 1998 runners-up Dynamos of Zimbabwe and Gaborone United in Harare complete the line-up. — AFP