The new football season starts with two crunch matches between powerhouse rivals Ahli and Zamalek, writes Ahmed Morsy Cairo giants Ahli and Zamalek are preparing to their crunch CAF Champions League encounter next Sunday, in the first game of the group stage. They are to meet again in the Egyptian Super Cup one week later. Ahli preferred to hold an international pre- season camp in Germany, where their last friendly game there was against Bundesliga second division club, Kaiserslautern which ended 1-1. The camp lasted for 21 days. Coach Manuel Jose expressed his satisfaction with the friendly game against the German club Kaiserslautern, pointing out that he was in need of such a powerful game which awarded him the opportunity to check on all the players and considered it a very useful experience for new players. The Egyptian champions returned to Cairo on Saturday, to start the final warm-up phase before their fiery CAF Champions League group stage clash with Zamalek. After a one-day break, Ahli resumed training at the club's premises in Gezira. Jose announced he will not release the final African line-up list until 48 hours before the game, which means that some players who are competing for only four places in the list have to wait until today or tomorrow to know what their status is. Zamalek preferred to conduct a local pre- season camp in the 6th of October city. Zamalek assistant coach Mohamed Helmi left the team's pre-season training camp in Cairo after a disagreement with chairman Mamdouh Abbas. "I will not return to the camp. I am disappointed with what's happening inside the club and I have no further comment to make," Helmi told Filgoal. A state of unrest surrounds the Cairo club, summed up by distinct transfer problems involving Amr Zaki and Hani Said. Helmi was replaced by the club's former star Tarek Yehia. Both clubs have won the African Champions league five times each. Zamalek won the CAF champions league title in 1984, 1986, 1993, 1996 and 2002. Ahli's titles were in 1982, 1987, 2001, 2005 and 2006. They were runners-up last year. As for the Egyptian Super Cup title, Ahli are superior to Zamalek claiming it four times in 2003, 2005, 2006 and 2007. While Zamalek won it in 2001 and 2002. In the Confederations Cup, South African club Mamelodi Sundowns claimed a first victory over Egyptian opposition by edging Haras Al-Hodoud 1-0 in an African Confederation Cup tie on Saturday. Giant striker Lungisani Ndlela headed the winner 61 minutes into a lively fourth round, first leg match and the result leaves the outcome delicately balanced ahead of the second leg in two weeks. Sundowns had drawn twice at home and lost twice away to Egyptian giants Ahli during the past seven years in the Champions League and for a long time it seemed they might be thwarted again. Haras from the Mediterranean city of Alexandria conceded eight corners within eight minutes of the kick-off at freezing Super Stadium, but were more threatening in attack during the opening half. Veteran striker Abdel-Hamid Bassouni went close with a snap shot and a header before a Ndlela header and a Lerato Chabangu cross caused anxiety for the well-drilled visitors. Sundowns continued to dominate territorially in the second half and the breakthrough came when Ndlela soared above Kameni to nod in a Josta Dladla cross. It was only the second goal conceded by Haras in five Confederation Cup outings this year against Mouloudia Alger of Algeria, Al-Akhdar of Libya and the South Africans. Uruguayan Bryan Aldave replaced fading Ndlela soon after, but it was the Egyptians who came nearest to scoring as Bassouni rounded goalkeeper Brian Baloyi only to fire into the side netting. The fourth round pits Sundowns and seven other losers in the final African Champions League qualifiers against the eight survivors of a three- round Confederation Cup elimination process. African Confederation Cup title holders CS Sfaxien of Tunisia staged a brave comeback to force a 2-2 draw at Platinum Stars of South Africa Sunday. The North Africans punished sloppy defending by Platinum to score twice in the second half after the South Africans had built a 2-0 half-time lead on a freezing afternoon in the northern town of Rustenburg. Sfaxien are expected to win the return match in two weeks and advance to the group phase of a competition modelled on Europe's UEFA Cup and offering a $330,000 first prize. A 5,000 crowd at Olympia Park saw Simba Marumo tap the ball into the net on 12 minutes in the fourth round clash and Dingaan Masanabo put Stars further ahead just before half-time with a low shot. But Platinum failed to consolidate their advantage after the break and Ghanaian Opoku Agyemang reduced the arrears after 53 minutes by volleying a poor clearance past goalkeeper Tapuwa Kapini. Zimbabwean Kapini was to blame for the 73rd-minute equaliser as he failed to grasp a cross and Chaker Bargaoui pounced on the loose ball and struck it into the net. African debutants Platinum dropped down to the Confederation Cup after losing narrowly to Ahli in the final round of African Champions League qualifiers two months ago. Sfaxien have made sluggish progress in the Confederation Cup qualifiers after receiving a first round bye, edging JSM Bejaia of Algeria and needing the away goal rule to oust Linguere of Senegal. Former Confederation Cup title holders Etoile Sahel exacted swift revenge over Esperance by winning the all-Tunisian showdown 2-0 in the Mediterranean resort of Sousse. Esperance defeated arch rivals Etoile 2-1 last weekend to lift the Tunisian Cup in Tunis, but came unstuck at the Olympic Stadium where the 'Red Devils' have lost just once in numerous African campaigns. Highly rated young striker Amine Chermiti gave Etoile an early lead and Benin midfielder Muri Ogunbiyi added the second five minutes after half-time before a large crowd. Defender Younis al-Shibani headed the winner two minutes from full-time as Al-Ittihad of Libya came from behind to pip 10-man Asante Kotoko of Ghana 2-1 in a Tripoli thriller. Striker Kwabena Yaro gave the new Ghanaian champions an 11th-minute lead they lost early in the second half when Godfred Yeboah handled and prolific scorer Salem Rewani converted the spot kick. Kotoko, runners-up to compatriots Hearts of Oak in the first Confederation Cup four years ago, put themselves under pressure soon after when a second caution led to the dismissal of captain Emmanuel Osei Kuffour. Modest Cameroon clubs fared satisfactorily with Astres Douala forcing a 1-1 draw at former African champions JS Kabylie of Algeria while Mount Cameroon will fancy their chances despite a 2-1 loss at Angolan police team InterClube.
