Al Ahly look to break South African hoodoo

A second round of African Champions League group matches follows this weekend and comes fast on the heels of the first round some 10 days ago with more than half the field looking for their first wins of the pool campaign.

Only six clubs managed to take all three points with a victory when the group competition got under way on Tuesday, November 27 and Al Ahly, Al Hilal, Esperance, Orlando Pirates, Pyramids and Royal Armed Forces will all be looking to continue their winning ways on matchday two.

Defending champions Al Ahly, who started with a 4-2 home win over rookies Stade Abidjan of the Ivory Coast in Group C, travel to South Africa where they are yet to win a match in more than two decades of trying.

They will be up on Saturday at the Orlando Stadium against Pirates, whose return to the group phase after a five-year absence, started with an impressive 2-1 away win in Algeria over Chabab Belouizdad with a pair of goals from 20-year-old newcomer Mohau Nkota.

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Al Ahly are the Champions League’s most successful club but 15 past trips to South Africa in all continental club competition has seen them fail to register a win, with eight draws and seven defeats.

DISAPPOINTMENT

Al Ahly had disappointing draw on Sunday when held by NBE Club in the Egyptian league action while Pirates lost their 100 per cent record in the Betway Premiership at home to Stellenbosch the same day.

But since, the Egyptian giants have been boosted by a return to the squad of goal ace Wessam Abou Ali, after a foot injury had kept him out of action over the last fortnight.

The 25-year-old Palestine international, who scored 18 goals to win the Egyptian League's top scorer title last season, has been a linchpin for Ahly since his arrival last January.

Moroccan stopper Achraf Dari, 25, was also included in travelling squad after recovering from an ankle injury.

Both Chabab Belouizdad and Stade Abidjan will be looking to restore their chances when they clash at the Felix Houphouet-Boigny Stadium in the Ivorian capital, also on Saturday. Stade lost in the Ivorian league to Bouake after their trip to Cairo but Belouizdad continued their winning ways in the Algerian league with a win over ASO Chlef.

In Group A, Al Hilal will be looking to build on their away win over Young Africans of Tanzania on matchday one. They are home to TP Mazembe from the Democratic Republic of Congo at their temporary base in Mauritania, where are playing as guests in the local league while the civil war in Sudan continues unresolved.

Yanga have former TS Galaxy coach Sead Ramovic as their new boss and are away at Mouloudia Alger on Saturday in a tough assignment where they can ill afford to go down again.

Ramovic complained about the fitness of his side after they lost to Hilal. “If you want to survive in the Champions League, your fitness level has to be high," he said.

Mamelodi Sundowns made a disappointing start in Group B when held by Maniema Union from DR Congo in Pretoria. The goalless draw came despite a myriad of chances for the South African champions, who looked to be suffering from a hangover after days earlier losing to Magesi in the Carling Knockout final.

DOWNS AGAINST ARMED FORCES

Sundowns are next up against Morocco’s Royal Armed Forces in Rabat on Saturday after the military club beat Raja Casablanca in an all-Moroccan affair last month.

Raja have already arrived in Kinshasa for their clash with rookies Maniema Union and then plan to travel straight down to Pretoria for their December 15 clash with Sundowns.

The Moroccan champions recorded their first victory under Portuguese coach Ricardo Sa Pinto last weekend, beating Hassania Agadir 3-1 to end a run of five consecutive draws.

This weekend’s Champions League action kicks off in Group D on Friday as Angola’s Sagrada Esperanca host Esperance of Tunisia in Luanda on Friday.

The other group game is on Sunday in Bamako when Egypt’s Pyramids visit Djoliba, one of three newcomers to the group competition.

The third matchday will be played next weekend on both Saturday December 14 and Sunday December 15. The group competition will be completed by mid-January.