Oryx Douala became the first African club champion in 1965 after beating Stade Malien in the final in Accra. A year later the Cameroon clubs' attempts to successfully defend their title came unstuck at the semi-final stage – which Oryx reached courtesy of a bye in the first round and the quarter-finals. It was a sign of things to come, as 48 years later the title holders have only managed to successfully defend Africa's biggest club competition five times. The first club to do so was TP Englebert, who were knocked out in the first round in 1968, but were reinstated into the competition after their opponents were found to have fielded ineligible players. The Congo DR club went on to win the cup for a second time.
If the current champions, ES Setif, want to become the fourth club - Al Ahly and TP Mazembe have managed the feat twice - to win back-to-back titles, the Algerians have a long road ahead, with the cards heavily stacked against them. With two matches remaining in the CAF Champions League group stage, Setif are third in Group B with four points – eight points behind the already qualified USM Alger and three behind Sudanese club Al Merreikh, who have also won the head-to-head tie with Setif.
If the current champions, ES Setif, want to become the fourth club - Al Ahly and TP Mazembe have managed the feat twice - to win back-to-back titles, the Algerians have a long road ahead, with the cards heavily stacked against them. With two matches remaining in the CAF Champions League group stage, Setif are third in Group B with four points – eight points behind the already qualified USM Alger and three behind Sudanese club Al Merreikh, who have also won the head-to-head tie with Setif.
To remain in the competition, Setif have to avoid defeat at USM Alger, who are the only club in the group stage to have picked up maximum points from their four matches, and even if Setif draw or win, their fate lies in the hands of Merreikh, who are away at MC El Eulma. The Algerian second division club have lost all four matches and no longer stand a chance to progress to the semi-finals. On the other hand, a victory for Merreikh (or a draw if Setif draw) will be enough to see the Sudanese club through and the champions eliminated.
It is a fate that club officials have come to terms with and club president Hassan Hammar has taken the responsibility upon himself, saying that it would be wrong to dream or cling to possibilities or calculations and false hope. “I think we are eliminated. I must take responsibility for this failure, just as I was given recognition for winning the cup last year.”
He said that injuries to players like Toufik Zerara and Abdelghani Demou had cost the club. “But I am not justifying why we find ourselves in this situation. There is no justification. The reason lies with us alone why we have been eliminated.”
An open group
But if Group B is all over bar the shouting, the situation in Group A is very different, with all four clubs still in contention. Four-time champions TP Mazembe are certainly in the driving seat, occupying top spot with eight points ahead of their clash in Omdurman against Al Hilal, who are third on goal difference behind Moroccan club Maghreb Tetouan. Both clubs have five points and even Egyptian rookies Smouha, who have just three points are not out of contention.
Mazembe must be the favourites though and as usual, Les Corbeaux have left nothing to chance and arrived in Khartoum a few days ahead of the game to acclimatise, travelling to Sudan on board the clubs' plane. Coach Patrice Carteron will be without Thomas Ulimwengu, who has a knee injury and Kabaso Chongo, who is nursing an ankle. But Rainford Kalaba, Yaw Frimpong and Wonder Bope are all welcomed back after serving suspensions, while Gladson Awako and Ali Sadiki return from injury.
Carteron said on arrival that he regarded the game in Sudan as a turning point for the season. “We have a lot of motivation and even though we currently sit at the top, it is a precarious position as three clubs could be on eight points after these matches. But if we get a result in Sudan, we will be through to the semi-finals.”
Tetouan have staged a solid come-back in the competition since surrendering a 2-0 half-time lead against Smouha in the opening group game, which they lost 3-2. They drew Mazembe and took four from Hilal in two matches and will qualify for the semi-finals if they beat Smouha in Morocco on the weekend and Mazembe win in Sudan.
In Ahmed Jahouh, Tetouan have one of the star players of the group phase in their ranks and there is speculation that he could be joining one of the Casablanca giants (Raja or Wydad) soon.
It is a fate that club officials have come to terms with and club president Hassan Hammar has taken the responsibility upon himself, saying that it would be wrong to dream or cling to possibilities or calculations and false hope. “I think we are eliminated. I must take responsibility for this failure, just as I was given recognition for winning the cup last year.”
He said that injuries to players like Toufik Zerara and Abdelghani Demou had cost the club. “But I am not justifying why we find ourselves in this situation. There is no justification. The reason lies with us alone why we have been eliminated.”
An open group
But if Group B is all over bar the shouting, the situation in Group A is very different, with all four clubs still in contention. Four-time champions TP Mazembe are certainly in the driving seat, occupying top spot with eight points ahead of their clash in Omdurman against Al Hilal, who are third on goal difference behind Moroccan club Maghreb Tetouan. Both clubs have five points and even Egyptian rookies Smouha, who have just three points are not out of contention.
Mazembe must be the favourites though and as usual, Les Corbeaux have left nothing to chance and arrived in Khartoum a few days ahead of the game to acclimatise, travelling to Sudan on board the clubs' plane. Coach Patrice Carteron will be without Thomas Ulimwengu, who has a knee injury and Kabaso Chongo, who is nursing an ankle. But Rainford Kalaba, Yaw Frimpong and Wonder Bope are all welcomed back after serving suspensions, while Gladson Awako and Ali Sadiki return from injury.
Carteron said on arrival that he regarded the game in Sudan as a turning point for the season. “We have a lot of motivation and even though we currently sit at the top, it is a precarious position as three clubs could be on eight points after these matches. But if we get a result in Sudan, we will be through to the semi-finals.”
Tetouan have staged a solid come-back in the competition since surrendering a 2-0 half-time lead against Smouha in the opening group game, which they lost 3-2. They drew Mazembe and took four from Hilal in two matches and will qualify for the semi-finals if they beat Smouha in Morocco on the weekend and Mazembe win in Sudan.
In Ahmed Jahouh, Tetouan have one of the star players of the group phase in their ranks and there is speculation that he could be joining one of the Casablanca giants (Raja or Wydad) soon.
By: FIFA.com
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