JOHANNESBURG: Playing catch-up is not a pursuit the footballers of African club champions Al-Ahly of Egypt are used to. The most popular club on the continent lifted the Champions League last year after 14-match unbeaten run and have won the last two editions of the national championship without suffering a loss. But a 78-match run without a loss on African soil since July 2004 ended in the Tunisian Mediterranean town of Sfax two weeks ago when the Red Devils from Cairo slumped 1-0 to Club Sportif Sfaxien in a Group A opener. Jeunesse Sportive de Kabylie of Algeria won by a similar score at home to Asante Kotoko of Ghana leaving the pool delicately balanced entering the second series this weekend. Ahly host Kabylie in Cairo Saturday evening and the Egyptians will lack suspended defender Emad Al-Nahas and striker Emad Moteab in one of three weekend showdowns between clubs who have raised the Champions League. Al-Nahas and Moteab received one-match bans for threatening the referee after the defeat in Sfax, although why they chose to vent their anger on the match official remains a mystery. Ahly looked jaded, was constantly under pressure, and showed a worrying lack of imagination on the rare occasions they penetrated deep into territory defended by Sfaxien. The Tunisians are the sole survivors in the eight-club field not to have conquered Africa, but there was no doubting the superiority of a team who won thanks to a far-post header from Issam Mardessi in first-half stoppage time. Certain key players have played too much football over the last year and could not find their rhythm, conceded Manuel Jose, the graying Portuguese coach of Ahly who reportedly earns more than $30,000 (LE 170,000) a month. Apart from their club exploits, many Ahly players helped Egypt win a record fifth African Nations Cup last February, an achievement that involved playing an average of two matches a week. The Red Devils received a psychological pick-up last weekend, edging ENPPI 1-0 to retain the Egypt Super Cup thanks to an injury-time goal from midfielder Mohamed Aboutraika, a Nations Cup hero. Kabylie was ahead in 11 minutes against Kotoko courtesy of a twice-taken penalty by Mali-born Oumar Dabo, but failed to maintain a frenetic early tempo as the absence of five regulars through injury and suspension gradually told. Ahly are favored to win as any other result would put them under pressure as they bid to become only the third club after TP Englebert of the Democratic Republic of Congo and Enyimba of Nigeria to successfully defend the title. After surviving the early Kabylie storm, Kotoko created several chances only to be let down by the lack of clinical finishing that cost African teams so dearly at the World Cup in Germany last month. Like Ahly, Kotoko know maximum points is essential against a Sfaxien side with a proud away record in the competition this year, having ground out 1-0 victories at Daring Club Motema Pembe of DR Congo and FAR Rabat of Morocco. Enyimba host Orlando Pirates of South Africa in Aba and ASEC Abidjan of Ivory Coast entertain Hearts of Oak of Ghana Sunday in Group B and home victories would virtually eliminate the vanquished from the title race. The Nigerians were the only away winners in the first series, scoring early and late goals to beat Hearts 2-0 while ASEC scored in stoppage time to snatch a 1-1 with Pirates in Johannesburg. AFP
African champions Al-Ahly face unusual task
