16 - 22 May 2002
Issue No.586
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Al-Ahram Weekly Online 16 - 22 May 2002 Issue No.586 |
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African draw keeps local rivals apart
Ahli and Zamalek were placed in separate groups in soccer's African Champions League, reports Abeer Anwar
The prospect of an all-North Africa semi-finals line-up in the African Champions League loomed large after the group phase draw was made in Cairo on Saturday.
Sobhi, left, and the luck of the draw
photo : Mohamed Wasseem
Holders Ahli of Egypt and three- time champions Raja Casablanca of Morocco were placed with lesser lights TP Mazembe of the Democratic Republic of Congo and Jeanne d'Arc of Senegal in one pool.
In the other, former champions Esperance of Tunisia and Zamalek of Egypt appear to have the edge over inexperienced ASEC of Ivory Coast and minnows Costa do Sol of Mozambique.
Since Zamalek won the first of a record four titles in 1984, North African clubs have dominated the premier club championship in Africa, which carries $3 million in prize money.
Only three sub-Saharan clubs -- Orlando Pirates of South Africa (1995), ASEC (1998) and Hearts of Oak of Ghana (2000) -- have interrupted the dominance of Algerian, Egyptian, Moroccan and Tunisian teams.
TP Mazembe, the only side to successfully defend the trophy since its inception 38 years ago, were the surprise qualifiers for the mini-league stage, where even the poorest performers are guaranteed $200,000.
Seemingly in trouble after being held 1-1 by Pirates on their bone-hard dustbowl in the southern city of Lubumbashi, Mazembe achieved a stunning 3-1 second-leg triumph in South Africa.
Regular continental campaigners Costa do Sol are the only survivors from the preliminary round, where they overcame Vital'O of Burundi 5-0 on aggregate.
The Mozambicans then pipped Highlanders of Zimbabwe and Olympic Emyrne of Madagascar to earn an unexpected place among the elite of African club football.
Each team plays its three pool opponents at home and away between August and October with the leading two clubs on the final standings advancing to the semi-finals during November.
Ahli football manager Alaa Abdel-Sadeq saw the draw as balanced, saying "all the teams which qualified are considered strong contenders." Abdel-Sadeq expressed hope that the final would be an all-Egyptian encounter between Ahli and Zamalek.
Zamalek's Public Relations Manager Ashraf Sobhi thought it would have been better to have Ahli and Zamalek in the same group. "This would have increased the chances of both clubs qualifying and, more importantly, prevented a quarter-finals clash," Sobhi said.
In the Cup Winners Cup quarter-finals, Sudan's Al-Mourada will play against Congo's Police and Ghana's Asante Kotoko will face Egypt's Ghazl Al-Mehalla, playing for the first time in the competition. Ghazl Al- Mehalla reached the finals in the 1974 African Champions League and the semi-finals in 1975 in the same competition.
Vita of the Democratic Republic of Congo or Seychelles' St Michel Utd will play against Morocco's Wydad Casablanca and Madagascar's US Transfoot will meet Algeria's USMA. The first leg matches will be played from 30 August to 1 September while the second leg matches will be from 13 to 15 September.
In the semi-final round, the winner of Kotoko/Mehalla will face the winner of Mourada/Police. The winner of Vita/Michel/ Wydad will meet the winner of Transfoot/ USMA. First leg matches will take place on 4-6 October and the second leg from 18-20 October. The final round first leg matches will take place on 15-17 November and the second on 6-8 December.
In the Federation Cup quarter-finals, Madagascar's AS Adema will face Egypt's Misri. Algeria's title holders JS Kabylie will play Mali's Djoliba, Ivory Coast Satellite will meet Rwanda's Rayon Sport and Tunisia's Etoile Sahel is playing Cameroon's Tonnerre Yaounde. The first leg encounters are 30 August and 1 September and the second legs are on 13-15 September. The semi-final first leg match will be on 4-6 October. The second will be on 18-20 October. The final first leg will take place from 8-10 November and the second between 22 to 24 November.
CAF's organising committee slapped Ahli of Tripoli with a three-year ban from all inter-club competition after several of their players assaulted the Somali referee during their match with Mehalla in Egypt in round 16 of the Cup Winners Cup played last month. Ahli player Emad Bassini was suspended for two years while Osama Hamadi, Walid Shili and Bashir Ghazawi received one-year bans each. The club must also pay for the damages incurred after their players damaged the dressing rooms of Mehalla Stadium.
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