26 Jul 2018

An adrenaline-charged evening of football is on the cards tomorrow (July 28) as eight-time African champions and record 40 times Egyptian champions Al Ahly face domestic giants Township Rollers in a CAF Champions League Group A match at the National Stadium.

Scheduled for a 6pm kickoff, the match is your archetypal David versus Goliath clash, but a Rollers side, which has acquitted itself well in this season’s premier continental tournament, will have the belief that they can cause an upset.

The Blues are unbeaten at home in this season’s Champions league, the qualifying rounds yielded a 3-0 victory against Al Merreikh of Sudan, and a goalless draw against Young Africans (Popa having already won 2-1 away), while the only group stage match hosted by Rollers saw them trounce KCCA of Uganda 1-0.

But, after losing 4-1 away to Esperance in Tunisia and 3-0 away to Al Ahly in Egypt, Popa now find themselves in a delicate position; the remaining home games against Ahly and Esperance, as well as next month’s away trip to KCCA in Kampala, crucial if a quarterfinal berth is to be secured.

After a poor start, drawing at home to Esperance and losing away to KCCA in Kampala, Al Ahly roped in French coach Patrice Carteron, who has guided Mali to third place in the 2013 African Nations Cup, and won the 2015 Champions League with Mazembe.

Since being roped in Carteron led Ahly to their first win of the group stage, the 3-0 triumph over Rollers, and he will look to continue making good use of his galaxy of stars, some of whom represented Egypt at the recent FIFA World Cup in Russia.

Nigerian international Oluwafemi Junior Ajayi and his former CS Sfaxien teammate, Tunisian international Ali Maaloul linked beautifully during the first leg in Alexandria and will pose a threat from either flank.

Ajayi is a forward with a knack of cutting in from the right wing; Maaloul, who also featured at the World Cup in Tunisian colours, is a left back with strong offensive characteristics, his 14 goals in the Tunisian league in 2016 a national record for a defender.

Rollers will miss Mosha Gaolaolwe and Simisani Mathumo, suspended owing to accumulated yellow cards.

Oscar Ncenga and Tshepo Motlhabankwe, the likely central defensive pairing, will need to be alert.

Ofentse Nato also got injured while trying to make a goal line clearance as Al Ahly powered to their third goal in Alexandria recently, leaving captain Maano Ditshupo and Gape Mohutsiwa the likely central midfield pair.

Buoyed by the return to training earlier this week of Segolame Boy, who had not featured at any point in pre-season while nursing an injury, and Lemponye Tshireletso, who signed a short term contract extension with the club, Rollers head coach Nikola Kavazovic will have to weight his options for the more offensive areas of midfield. 

Ugandan holding midfielder Ivan Ntege is likely to continue in the less familiar role of right back.

Edwin Moalosi, Motsholetsi Sikele and youngster Boyo Lechaena are also options for a starting berth in the wide areas of the pitch and in the hole just behind the sole central striker, likely to be Joel Mogorosi.

Also this weekend, group leaders Esperance travel to Uganda to face KCCA. Esperance have seven points, followed by Al-Ahly with four, with Rollers and KCCA having three points each.

The four sides have played three games each. The top two sides in the group qualify for the quarterfinals. ENDS