JOHANNESBURG: Zambian club Zanaco need to recover from a poor start to the African Confederation Cup group phase when they host Harras Al-Hodoud of Egypt Saturday.
Coach Wedson Nyirenda boasted after a play-off victory over Enyimba of Nigeria that his team would go on to win the second-tier Pan-African club competition.
But a 1-0 defeat at FUS Rabat of Morocco two weeks ago in probably the least intimidating of three Group B away assignments left the bank club bottom of the table after the opening series of matches.
Harras, a paramilitary club from the Mediterranean city of Alexandria, also failed to match expectations with a side that struck 18 goals in three other home cup ties held 0-0 by Tunisian visitors CS Sfaxien.
Zanaco want to recapture the form that saw them score four goals by half-time against two-time African champions Enyimba at Sunset Stadium in the Zambian capital.
Eugene Shamakamba triggered the rout with a second-minute goal and Mathews Macha, Ignatius Lwipa and Winston Kalengo also netted in the best performance by a Zambian club in Africa for many a year.
Former Zambia striker Nyirenda is being less boastful as he plots the downfall of Hodoud, experienced Confederation Cup campaigners making their third consecutive group-phase appearance.
"It is not going to be an easy game as Harras are experienced but home advantage means a lot and we must kick start our campaign," he told Zambian reporters.
Hodoud proved poor travelers in three qualifiers this year, drawing in Ethiopia but losing in Tanzania and Botswana and the knowledge that only maximum points will suffice could give Zanaco the edge.
Sfaxien, whose back-to-back titles in 2007 and 2008 make them the only club to successfully defend the Confederation Cup, should prove too strong for spirited but limited FUS in Sfax later Saturday.
Al-Hilal of Sudan made a superb start to Group A by winning 2-1 at Al-Ittihad of Libya and will be favored to triumph again when Niger armed forces club AS FAN play in sauna-like Omdurman Sunday.
Djoliba, hoping to become the second Malian winners of the Confederation Cup after the shock triumph of Stade Malien last year, forced a goalless draw at AS FAN and home advantage gives them the edge over Ittihad in Bamako.
Group winners and runners-up after the six-round mini-league phase advance to the semi-finals and the winners of a two-leg final pocket $660,000 and a tilt at the African Champions League winners for the Super Cup.
