JOHANNESBURG: Holders Al Ahli begin the defense of their African Champions League title this weekend, joining the competition at the second round stage just two weeks after winning the African Super Cup. The club, which has an unbeaten record on the continent that now stretches back 21 months, is at full strength for the first time this year for their first leg match against Kenya s Tusker FC in Nairobi on Saturday. Winger Mohamed Barakat, who was among the key players in last year s triumph, has returned from injury to lead the side in their quest for a second successive title. He is joined by defender Wael Gomaa, injured early on in the African Nations Cup final on Feb. 10 where Egypt beat the Ivory Coast on penalties. Both players missed Al Ahli s triumph over Morocco s Royal Armed Forces in the Super Cup match on Feb. 24, where a shootout also decided the destiny of the trophy. On Saturday, Al Ahli is up against a modest outfit who are handicapped by the suspension of goalkeeper Victor Onyango, who was sent of in the previous round. Al Ahli leads a field of nine former champions this year, three of whom also had byes into the second round. Royal Armed Forces and Raja Casablanca, also from Morocco, play for the first time as do Ghana s Hearts of Oak, who face a tricky tie away in Ethiopia on Sunday against St George, surprise first round aggregate winners over Egypt s other representatives ENPPI. Royal Armed Forces play their first continental match under new coach Saad Dahane, who replaced Mohamed Fakir, now in charge of the Morocco national team. They are away against APR FC of Rwanda in Kigali on Saturday, facing a side who also created a first round upset by beating Angola s AS Aviacao both home and away. Raja Casablanca s opponents are CAPS United of Zimbabwe, who they host on Saturday. Renaciemento of Equatorial Guinea were the surprise package of the first round with their elimination of Africa Sports of the Ivory Coast, scoring a last-minute equalizer to win the tie on the away goals rule. They continue their giant killing quest with a second round, first leg tie against Stade Malien in Bamako on Saturday. Namibia s Civics, another surprise qualifier for the second round, face a daunting task away at ASEC Abidjan of the Ivory Coast, who were continental champions in 1998. Both Port Autonome and Diaraf Dakar of Senegal host their respective first leg matches in Dakar on Friday because of a weekend of religious festivities in the west African country. Port Autonome meet USM Alger while Diaraf Dakar hosts Nigeria s Enyimba, winners of the Champions League in 2003 and 2004. The return legs will be played on the weekend of March 31, April 1-2 with the winners advancing to the third knockout round next month. Reuters
