Hearts face another embarrassing elimination

Ghana's Hearts of Oak face another embarrassing early elimination from the African Champions League when they play in the return leg of their first round tie at the weekend.

Hearts, who were winners of the Champions League in 2000 but have failed at the first round hurdle in the two tournaments since, take a slender 1-0 lead to neighbouring Togo for Sunday's match against AS Douanes.

The Ghanaian team, still featuring several key players who helped them to the continental championship three years ago, could fail for the third successive year to reach the lucrative last eight.

The clubs who do qualify share more than $3-million in television andmarketing revenue.

Also precariously placed are Ismailia, another of the six former champions in this year's field.

The Egyptian champions, whose only continental triumph came in 1969, will take a slim 1-0 lead to Zambia for the second leg of their match-up with Zanaco in Lusaka on Saturday.

"I think they are a good side but they are not invincible," said Zanaco coach Dan Kabwe of his team's Egyptian opponents.

"With the right approach, we can definitely beat them and turn the tables. If we do not make mistakes in Saturday's game I think we can beat them."

But many of the other fancied sides looked comfortably placed to progress to the second round next month.

Esperance of Tunisia and Canon Yaounde, both former winners, have 5-0 leads for their this weekend's away matches in Rwanda and Sudan respectively, while defending champions Zamalek are 3-0 up as they meet Nzoia Sugar of Kenya in Nairobi on Saturday.

The Cairo club will be without injured striker Hossam Hassan but are still expected to have too much ammunition for the Kenyans, who have injury concerns of their own.

Kenya internationals Bernard Mwalala and Hillary Echesa are out along with John Muraya, who collided with Mwalala in training on Wednesday. Echesa has a knee problem, officials said on Friday.

PERENNIAL BATTLE

Nigeria's Enyimba are also 3-0 up as they prepare to face Satellite of Guinea in the second leg of their tie in Conakry on Sunday.

Enyimba are the latest hopefuls in Nigeria's perennial battle to win the Champions League title, an honour that has eluded the giant west African country since they first entered the competition 35 years ago.

Matches are also scheduled in the African Cup Winners' Cup and the Confederation of African Football (CAF) Cup, which will be amalgamated into a single competition from next year.

Cup Winners' Cup holders Wydad Casablanca take a 2-0 lead to Mauritania to play ASC Nasr de Sebkha but former winners Africa Sports of the Ivory Coast are under threat in Togo.

Africa Sports were held to a surprise 1-1 home draw in the first leg of their tie against Dyto de Lome a fortnight ago and will effectively need an away win to reach the second round.

In the CAF Cup, holders JS Kabylie of Algeria have a bye into next month's second round.

African Champions League:
Al Ittihad (Libya) v Hassania Agadir (Morocco) (0-0)
Tripoli, Friday

Rayon Sport (Rwanda) v Esperance (Tunisia) (0-5)
Kigali, Saturday

US Mbila Nziami (Gabon) v FC St Eloi Lupopo (Democratic Republic of Congo) (1-0)
Libreville, Saturday

Zanaco (Zambia) v Ismailia (Egypt) (0-1)
Lusaka, Saturday

Nzoia Sugar (Kenya) v Zamalek (Egypt, holders) (0-3)
Nairobi, Saturday

Al Merreikh (Sudan) v Canon Yaounde (Cameroon) (0-5)
Omdurman, Saturday

St Louisienne (Reunion) v Highlanders (Zimbabwe) (1-3)
Saint Louis, Saturday

Wallidan (Gambia) v USM Alger (Algeria) (0-2)
Banjul, Sunday

AS Police (Congo) v Stade Malien (Mali) (0-1)
Brazzaville, Sunday

Satellite (Guinea) v Enyimba (Nigeria) (0-3)
Conakry, Sunday

Simba SC (Tanzania) v Santos (South Africa) (0-0)
Dar-es-Salaam, Sunday

SC Villa (Uganda) v AS Aviacao (Angola) (2-1)
Kampala, Sunday

AS Douanes (Togo) v Hearts of Oak (Ghana) (0-1)
Lome, Sunday

AS Niamey (Niger) v ASEC Abidjan (Ivory Coast) (0-3)
Niamey, Sunday

ASFA Yennenga (Burkina Faso) v Jeanne d'Arc (Senegal) (0-2)
Ouagadougou, Sunday

AS Port Louis 2000 (Mauritius) v Ferroviario Maputo (Mozambique) (0-2)
Rose-Hill, Sunday

African Cup Winners' Cup

Police FC (Uganda) v Baladeyet Al Mehalla (Egypt) (1-4)
Kampala, Friday

ASC Nasr de Sebkha (Mauritania) v Wydad Casablanca (Morocco, holders) (0-2)
Nouakchott, Friday

Al Hilal (Libya) v Widad Tlemcan (Algeria) (1-2)
Benghazi, Saturday

Hafia (Guinea) v Maghreb Fes (Morocco) (0-2)
Conakry, Saturday

Power Dynamos (Zambia) v Olympique Moka (Mauritius) (3-1)
Kitwe, Saturday

Dyto de Lome (Togo) v Africa Sports (Ivory Coast) (1-1)
Lome, Saturday

Anse Reunion (Seychelles) v Kenya Pipeline (Kenya) (1-2)
Victoria, Saturday

Club Olympique Bamako (Mali) v AS Douanes (Senegal) (2-0)
Bamako, Sunday

Akonangui (Equatorial Guinea) v Mount Cameroon (Cameroon) (0-2)
Bata, Sunday

APR FC (Rwanda) v US Kenya (Democratic Republic of Congo) (1-2)
Kigali, Sunday

Petro Atletico (Angola) v Etoile du Congo (Congo) (0-1)
Luanda, Sunday

JS Libreville (Gabon) v Julius Berger (Nigeria) (0-4)
Libreville, Sunday

Al Hilal (Sudan) v Insurance (Ethiopia) (2-0)
Omdurman, Sunday

Jomo Cosmos (South Africa) v Costa do Sol (Mozambique) (0-1)
Tembisa, Sunday

Confederation of African Football (CAF) Cup:

Al Nasr (Libya) v Coffee FC (Ethiopia) (0-0)
Benghazi, Friday

Kiyovu Sport (Rwanda) v Khartoum III (Sudan) (1-1)
Kigali, Friday

Maranatha de Fiokpo (Togo) v Cotonsport (Cameroon) (0-0)
Lome, Friday

Dominan'i Soavina Atsimondrano (Madagascar) v St Michel United (Seychelles) (0-0)
Antananarivo, Saturday

Djoliba (Mali) v FC 105 Libreville (Gabon) (0-3)
Bamako, Saturday

Express (Uganda) v Green Buffaloes (Zambia) (1-2)
Kampala, Saturday

Renacimiento (Equatorial Guinea) v Daring Club Motema Pembe (Democratic Republic of Congo) (1-4)
Malabo, Saturday

Club Africain (Tunisia) v Requins Atlantique (Benin) (0-1)
Tunis, Saturday

Jeunesse Club Abidjan (Ivory Coast) v CS La Mancha (Congo) (0-1)
Abidjan, Sunday

Raja Casablanca (Morocco) v Etoile Filante (Burkina Faso) (3-2)
Casablanca, Sunday

Black Rhinos (Zimbabwe) v Maxaquene (Mozambique) (1-1)
Harare, Sunday

Mamelodi Sundowns (South Africa) v Primeiro Agosto (Angola) (0-2)
Odi, Sunday

AS Sonacos (Senegal) v AS Kaloum (Guinea) (0-0)
Rufisque, Sunday