Africa's best clubs battle for honours as the 3rd CAF champions kick off

The third Confederation of African football championships took off over the weekend with eight teams battling for honours in two groups. GRi's Sports correspondent, EVANS OWUSU, asseses the strength of the eight teams and looks at how they fared in their first outings.

The third edition of the prestigious Champions League of the Confederation of African Football (CAF) commenced on 21^st August, 1999, to determine who wears the Africa soccer lords accolade at club level, for the year.

Termed the

'Money Zone’ for its mouth-watering 450,000 dollar winner-take-home prize, the round robin league of two groups, was introduced three seasons as an improvement on the knock-out series of the previous Africa Clubs Championship. The benefits of this transformation stands not only in the sudden high competitiveness of the tournament but also in its high commercial appeal.

Aside the bonus money for the emerging champions, CAF promises a US 150,000 dollar purse for each of the eight teams who qualify from the preliminary stages to play at this level.

Additionally, the team that wins a match takes home 10,000 dollars while a draw attracts 7,000 dollars for each team. CAF also assures of a thousand dollars per each goal scored.

The Africa soccer governing body has also ensured that the teams advertise themselves through live viewing of all matches by all eight countries whose clubs are taking part, courtesy Canal France International (CFI).

Its all fireworks therefore as the eight teams who have qualified this year's competition embark on their mission to snatch the glossy sums in addition to the enviable Sekou Toure trophy that will be at stake. Playing in Group A is Ghana’s Accra Hearts of Oak who are placed alongside El Haly National of Egypt, Morocco’s Raja Casablanca and Shooting Stars from neighbouring Nigeria. In Group B are Esperance of Tunisia, Asec Mimosa of Cote d’Ivoire, Zimbabwe’s Power Dynamos and St. Lousienne from the Reunion Islands.

Looking at the teams involved, soccer pundits have not minced words in describing Group A as the ‘group of death’. The presence of Hearts, El Haly and Raja in the same group sends shivers through the spines of many soccer enthusiast as each of them is capable of winning top the group. Shooting Stars is regarded as the dark-horse.

The Moroccans are on record as winning the first edition of the Champions League in 1997 when they beat Obuasi Goldfields of Ghana 7-6 on penalties after the two tied at one all in the two leg final. Even though they could not lift the trophy last year their third time appearance this year makes them the most consistent team in the tournament and with dangerman Moustapha Moustadia in their attacking line-up, opposing teams would only breathe a relief when the whistle goes after the 90^th minute.

The Moroccan onslaught is ably aided by the technical expertise of Argentine coach Oscar Fullone, who won the trophy for Asec Mimosa, for the first time, last year. The Argentine soccer tactician will also nurse an ambition of winning a personal double in the Championship.

While Raja look fearsome with their recent history, El Haly at present are the best ranked team at club level on the continent, having had an all time participation in the finals of CAF organised competitions than any club side. El Haly, whose soccer exploits saw them ruling Africa in the seventies and the eighties, have just annexed the tough Egyptian League title to give signal of their battle readiness.

El Haly opened their African championship on a bright note securing a 3 - 2 away win over Shooting Stars in a first leg assignment on August 21, that has gingered their vociferous fans into hopefulness before the more dreaded showdowns with Raja and Hearts. Even though the average age of their team seem to be on the up side the experience of the players that include the deadly Hossam Hassan who was the goalking at the last Africa Cup of Nations at Burkina Faso, proves an asset. Hossam has just turned 33.

Ghana’s Accra Hearts of Oak have not been that fortunate to decorate their wardrobe with continental laurels. Their best so far are two appearances at the finals of the previous championship where they lost closely to Hafia Club of Guinea and Union Sportive Douala of Cameroon in 1977 and 1979 respectively. The 'phobians' were unfortunate to have missed the final of finals last year as they were edged out by Power Dynamos on account of inferior goal aggregate .

The phobians journeyed to this stage by handing a 9-0 humiliation to Sony Ella Nguema of Equitorial Guinea and a 4-1 drubbing of SC Villa of Uganda. On the local scene Hearts are on the threshold of winning the premier league for three consecutive runs, having opened a 10-point lead with only seven matches to go.

As the only team that is presenting virtually same side that played in last year's competition, one can not begrudge them for their experience and free flowing soccer which emanates from total understanding among the players. Hearts Chairman, Harry Zakkour, claims that with the presence of deadly striker Joe Famiyeh and the recuperation of midfield general, Yaw Sakyi, the Arabs will certainly be subdued.

" It is not for anything that the North Africans prayed against being placed in the same group as Hearts when the ballot was being done in Cairo. Anybody who plays Hearts is really in for trouble and we are indeed going to show them the exit", says the Hearts boss who fans call ‘Champion Chairman ’.

"Hearts will rewrite the history of Manchester United on the African continent by winning a treble this year", adds the Champion Chairman whose team is also in contention for the domestic F/A Cup. Raja’s coach Fullone conveyed his fear of the squad in a rather straight forward statement; "Hearts have the men who seem to have the ability to scare their opponents with their brand of soccer and clubs must beware of them".

Harry's boasts however could not hold water when it was put to the test. Hearts lost 0 - 1 to Raja in their opening match at Casablanca.

Shooting Stars are not being given a dog’s chance in the Group by most analysts who consider them to be below the might of the three others. It is also envisaged that Nigeria’s football has been on the receiving end of late with some poor showings being recorded on the international front. Their quarter final exit in the FIFA Coca-Cola World Under 20 tournament which they hosted and the inability of their Olympic team to even win a match at the recently held Supreme Council for Sports in Africa (SCSA) Zone III tournament in Accra give enough grounds for this assertion.

Shooting stars confirmed their low rating when lost at home toEl Haly in their oepneing match. The Ibadan-based club have in their corner coach Fanny Anum one of the best in Nigeria and have vowed to correct their mistakes in subsequent matches. It will therefore not be surprising to see them causing upsets for which they have promised.

In the Group B pairings, defending champions, Asec Mimosa and tournament new entrants, Esperance will provide excitement which should be enriched by the resoluteness of last year’s losing finalist, Power Dynamos. As champions, Asec are without doubt the team to beat and will go in for a repeat of last year’s bright start when they inflicted a painful 1-0 home defeat on Raja.

In their goalkeeper, Allen Gouamene, the Ivorians have a dependable rear man whose agility has seen both the club and national team playing several times to cup finals. Leading their attack will be Dider ‘Maestro’ Zokora and Venance Zeze. The Ivorians however open their defence minus a couple of key players from last year's club winning side as they have been bought European sides.

Club Esperance are champions in their own right and have given up the title of the Africa Cup Winners Cup they won last year, to fight for the more prestigious champions cup.

Like El Haly, they have been reigning supreme in Tunisia lately. One asset of the team is their ability to counter attack with fast breaks which frequently catches defenders napping. Their 3-0 walloping of the Mimosas in the opening leg in Tunis them the hottest side in Group A.

In the case of Power Dynamos, their loss to the Mimosas in the finals last year is something that they would want to erase quickly by capturing the ultimate. After proving excellent in their group matches last year, the Zimbabweans could only manage a draw at home in the final before succumbing to a humiliating 1-4 defeat in the final of finals at Abidjan. They would not want anything better than winning this year's tournament but that seems a far cry as they suffered a disappointing 0 - 1 defeat in their first match against St. Louisienne at the Reunion Islands.

With their surprise victory over Dynamos, the team from the Reunion look set to be the giant killers in their group. The however victory does not seem to have gone into their heads as club chairman Lucay Arapyapin, admits that the win came 'with some surprise.'

No matter how modest the St. Louisienne boys would want to appear, that victory has suddenly turned them from being the 'whipping boys' to potential champions. It remains to be seen how the new entrants in the competition would continue with their fairy tale beginning in their remaining encounters. But again Lucay cautions: "Our resources are certainly limited. We are determined and I will be happy if we succeed in making an impact".

After the first leg matches Esperance, El Haly and Raja appear to be the teams to emerge tops as each of the North African teams live comfortably with their three points build-up. Hearts who lost narrowly to Raja together with Asec must also be watched closely. With all the eight teams red-eyed for some kind of inheritance, any eventual winner will depend on factors both inside and outside the pitch. Certainly the most technically and tactically motivated side should triumph.

But wait a minute! The winner qualifies to play in the first ever World Clubs Championship in Brazil next January. That’s another source for increased hostilities.

Group A ( GI ) Group B ( GII )

Raja Casablanca - Morocco Asec - Cote d’Ivoire

Hearts of Oak - Ghana Dynamos - Zimbabwe

Shooting Stars - Nigeria Esperance - Tunisia

El Haly - Egypt St. Louisienne - Reunion

Date Venue Home Team Vs Away Team

20/21/22 Aug. GI Casablanca Raja Hearts

Ibadan Shooting Stars El Haly

GII Tunis Esperance Asec

Reunion Islands St. Louisienne Dynamos

3/4/5 Sept. GI Accra Hearts Shooting Stars

Cairo El Haly Raja

GII Abidjan Asec St. Louisienne

Harare Dynamos Esperance

17/18/19 Sept. GI Casablanca Raja Shooting Stars

Accra Hearts El Haly

GII Tunis Esperance St. Louisienne

Abidjan Asec Dynamos

8/9/10 Oct. GI Ibadan Shooting Stars Raja

Cairo El Haly Hearts

GII Reunion Islands St. Louisienne Esperance

Harare Dynamos Asec

22/23/24 Oct. GI Accra Hearts Raja

Cairo El Haly Shooting Stars

GII Abidjan Asec Esperance

Harare Dynamos St. Louisienne

5/6/7 Nov. GI Ibadan Shooting Stars Hearts

GI Casablanca Raja El Haly

GII Reunion Islands St. Louisienne Asec

Tunis Esperance Dynamos

GI GII

Raja 1 Hearts 0 Esperance 3 Asec 0

Shooting Stars 2 El Haly 3 St. Louisienne 1 Dynamos 0

Table GI

P W D L F A Pts GD

El Haly 1 1 0 0 3 2 3 +1

Raja 1 1 0 0 1 0 3 +1

Hearts 1 0 0 1 0 1 0 -1

Shooting Stars 1 0 0 1 2 3 0 -1

GII P W D L F A Pts GD

Esperance 1 1 0 0 3 0 3 +3

St. Louisienne 1 1 0 0 1 0 3 +1

P. Dynamos 1 0 0 1 0 1 0 -1

Asec 1 0 0 1 0 3 0 -3

GRi../