Rwanda seek to inflict more football misery on Ghana

African Cup Winners Cup surprise packets APR of Rwanda are away to Asante Kotoko of Ghana this weekend in the first leg of an intriguing quarter-final showdown.

And after scoring nine goals against US Kenya of the Democratic Republic of Congo and five against Etoile of Congo in previous rounds, the first club from the tiny East African country to make the last eight have no cause for fear. Kotoko have a much stronger international pedigree, winning the Champions Cup (now League) twice and failing on the away-goal rule to Wydad Casablanca of Morocco in the previous Cup Winners Cup decider. But the Porcupine Warriors, based in the central Ghanaian city of Kumasi, hardly need reminding that it was minnows Rwanda who qualified for the 2004 African Nations Cup at the expense of four-time champions Ghana. Jimmy Gatete, scorer of the goal in Kigali two months ago that condemned the ‘Black Stars’ to the wilderness, is in the APR squad along with several other members of the victorious Rwandan squad. Kotoko received a first round bye before struggling to overcome African rookies Mont Cameroon, winning a nine goal, two-leg thriller thanks to a last-gasp Isaac Boakye penalty.

Wydad continue their defence of the Nelson Mandela Cup by making the long journey south to face 1991 winners Power Dynamos of Zambia in the central mining town of Kitwe. After much hiring and firing of coaches, Wydad are once more under the command of Rachid Taoussi. He was fired last year having steered the ‘Red Devils’ to the semi-finals.

With the Moroccan season starting only next weekend and the Zambian league well advanced, Power Dynamos should be sharper as they seek to improve their poor home record. Held 0-0 by Olympique Moka of Mauritius in the first round, they performed marginally better in their next home appearance, pipping Pipeline of Kenya 1-0 thanks to a John Lomani goal.

Baladeyet al-Mehalla of Egypt must recover from a five-goal domestic mauling by Zamalek if they are to build a commanding lead at home to Julius Berger of Nigeria, who have added veteran striker Rasheed Yekini to their squad. The programme is completed by a clash of former winners in Abidjan between Africa Sports of Ivory Coast and Etoile Sahel of Tunisia, whose line-up could include Ivorian midfielder Brahima Kone. Return matches are scheduled for the weekend of September 19-21 with the winners advancing to the semi-finals next month. —