28 January 2011
The circus for this years CAF Champions League gets underway this weekend across the continent and by May, the eight teams for the money-spinning group stage of Africas foremost club competition will emerge.
Who will be the clubs to then jostle for the biggest prize in African club football?
MTNFootball.com picks the most likely teams to challenge the two-year dominance of TP Mazembe of DR Congo.
10. Asec Mimosas (Cote dIvoire) Champions in 1998, the Ivorian kings have failed to reach the group phase of the Champions league in the past two years.
However, that does not take away the quality of the team over the years particularly as they continue to get genuine talent from the famous academy.
They are in a relatively easy qualifying pool that also has Raja (Morocco) and Malis Stade Malien.
It would therefore be too risky to brush aside their chances of making it to the mini-league stage as they did successfully between 2005 and 2008.
And once in the quarters, who would bet against them going even farther?
9. Cotonsport (Cameroon) The Cameroonian champions reached the final of the 2008 Champions League, where they lost narrowly to Al Ahly.
They remain the standard bearers of Cameroonian club football and in front of their fans in Garoua, northern Cameroon; they have stood their grounds against some of Africas best teams.
They still parade a big contingent of imports from Niger led by experienced goalkeeper Kassaly Daouda, while B international forward Baba Ousmaila is back in the fold after a brief sojourn in Tunisia.
8. Enyimba (Nigeria) In 2003, The peoples elephant became the first Nigerian team to win this hitherto elusive trophy.
They retained their crown the following year and were one of the most consistent clubs in the competition thereafter as they featured in the last eight till 2008.
They are back in the hunt for African glory but without their biggest benefactor, Orji Uzor Kalu, who is no longer Governor of Abia State.
This season, they have struggled in their defence of the Nigeria Premier League title, which has been blamed on money problems.
However, they still line up some of the finest talent locally left back Valentine Nwabili, midfielder Eneji Otekpa, who have both won full caps with Nigeria; goalkeeper Chijoke Ejiogu as well as defenders Emmanuel Anyanwu and Nnaemeka Anyanwu.
Talented right winger Philip Auta has also rejoined the team after a long-drawn transfer saga.
7. Al Merriekh (Sudan) The Sudanese giants have shown their ambition with the recent capture of Egypt international goalkeeper Essam Al-Hadary and Zambia international Jonas Sakuwaha in time for this years international campaign.
They will also be handled by former Al Ahly coach, Hossam Al-Badri, who guided the Cairo Red Devils to the semi-final of last years competition.
Prolific Nigerian striker Kelechi Osunwa has also returned after a long-term knee injury, while compatriot Stephen Worgu could rejoin the red half of Khartoum when his loan deal in Libya ends in June.
They certainly need to banish the nightmares of last year when they failed to qualify for the group stages of both the Champions League and the CAF Confederation Cup.
Standing between them and a place in quarterfinals would most likely be the consistent Dynamos of Zimbabwe and Algerias Moloudia dAlger.
6. Raja (Morocco) The peoples club have won the Champions League thrice and were runners-up nine years ago.
Raja Club Athletic or more popularly known as Raja Casablanca have for long been criticised for not winning trophies despite their entertaining brand of football.
CAF Confederation Cup winners two years ago, Stade Malien would be their opponents in the first round as they are expected to go past Tourbillion of Chad in the prelims.
The other early threat to their continental aspirations would likely be Asec Mimosas from Cote dIvoire.
5. Esperance (Tunisia) It is all change for The Blood and Gold this year after they were outclassed by Mazembe in the 2010 final.
Coach Faouzi Benzarti has pitched his tent again with the Tunisia national team, while leading scorer in last years international campaign, Nigeria international striker Michael Eneramo, has moved to Turkish club Sivasspor.
Mali striker Dramane Traore has been brought as a direct replacement for the Nigerian goal machine
4. Al Ahly (Egypt) Ahly have reunited with the man who led them to four of their six triumphs in this championship, the Portuguese coach Manuel Jose.
However, they are a team in transition as the old brigade led by the likes of Wael Gomaa, Mohamed Aboutrika, Mohamed Barakat and Ahmed Hassan gradually have to give way to younger guns like Mohamed Talaat, Mohamed Nagy Geddo and Ahmed Fathy.
Ahly desperately need a top-class goalkeeper and a proven scorer if they are again to be the force they were just three years ago.
3. Entente Setif (Algeria) Last year, JS Kabylie stole the thunder from Algerian champions Entente Sportive de Setif by reaching the last four of the Champions League.
This year, Algeria will be represented in this competition by Setif and Mouloudia dAlger.
They won this competition when it was known as the African Champions Cup in 1988. They featured in the mini-league stage last year and were knocked out in the first round three years ago.
Top stars are international goalkeeper Faouzi Chaouchi and defender Abdelkader Lafaoui.
2. Zamalek (Egypt) The White Knights have won the Champions League five times, but the last time was in 2002.
They are enjoying a revival under former international Hossam Hassan and after seeing how bitter city rivals Al Ahly have been a dominant force internationally, there could be no better motivation than for Zamalek to now go out there and win the trophy again.
But first they must overcome the challenge that Cotonsport of Cameroon would likely pose in the first round.
Zamalek lead the Egyptian league with 32 points from 15 matches and parade some quality stars like the temperamental but exciting 25-year-old midfielder Shikabala, who is top scorer in the league with nine goals.
1. TP Mazembe (DR Congo) Mazembe have now twice won this competition back-to-back and they will again be the team to beat especially with the return soon of their inspirational skipper Tresor Mputu from a long-term FIFA ban.
In December, The Crows made history as the first African team to reach the final of the FIFA World Club Cup in the UAE and club boss, Moise Katumbi, immediately announced he was budgeting a whopping $10 million to be back rubbing shoulders with the cream of club football in the world.
Mazembe begin their title defence in the first round when they tackle the winners of the preliminary round tie between Simba of Tanzania and Elan Club de Mitsoudje from the Comoros Islands.
The sterner test for the champions would most likely come in the round of 16 when they could clash with either Nigerias Kano Pillars or Wydad Casablanca from Morocco.
Two years ago, debutants Pillars reached the last four of the competition and are famous for a giant killing feat against the great Al Ahly of Egypt before they could reach the group stage.
Wydad, on the other hand, have won this competition once, in 1992, and even though they may not be the force they once were, they boast of a great pedigree.
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