ACTUALITE |
16.11.2001
Esperance seek fourth final
Tunisian club Esperance are expected to reach their third successive African Champions League final this weekend as the semi-finals reach their climax.
Esperance, along with Mamelodi Sundowns of South Africa, are the two clubs favoured to come through the second leg semifinals.
It would set up an intriguing two-leg final between two clubs , who have already fought out a number of tight tussles over the last 12 months.
Esperance host Al Ahly of Egypt in Tunis on Saturday night, having drawn 0-0 away in the first leg in Cairo a fortnight ago.
Close tussles
Sundowns take a two-goal lead to Luanda for Sunday`s match against Petro Atletico of Angola.
Esperance, who won the competition in 1994, have lost in the previous two finals of the competition, but only qualified for last year`s decider after winning their Champions League group on goal difference from Sundowns.
The two clubs were in the same group again this year and drew their two matches without scoring.
Esperance again finished top of the group but the introduction of a semifinal round this year also allowed Sundowns to continue in the competition.
Petro now have to open up a little to try and push forward to reduce our lead, which is going to leave the gaps open for my speedy strikers
Sundowns coach Ted Dimitru
The South African club should have won their semifinal first leg against Petro by a bigger margin in Pretoria last month, but squandered a host of chances.
However coach Ted Dumitru is optimistic there will be more opportunities for his strikers to redeem themselves in Luanda on Sunday.
"Their defence is slow and clumsy but was tight on us in the first leg. Now they have to open up a little to try and push forward to reduce our lead, which is going to leave the gaps open for my speedy strikers," Dumitru said.
Petro were allowed to keep all their international players this week, despite Angola`s much-anticipated friendly international in Portugal on Wednesday.
Rare defeat
This means the Champions League`s leading goalscorer Flavio and his partner Avelino Lopes were spared a potentially arduous journey to Lisbon.
A rare defeat for Esperance on Sunday in the Tunisian league has distracted from their build-up for Saturday`s semifinal against Al Ahly.
However the Tunisians are expected to be too strong for their Egyptian counterparts at home.
Even Al Ahly`s coach Manuel Jose has lamented his team`s lack of experience.
"It is an immature side that needs reinforcing," he said.
"It has been difficult to try and get them to play together because they are so young."
Many of Ahly`s players were members of the Egyptian under-20 side that finished third at the world youth championships in Argentina earlier this year but they have looked vulnerable throughout the Champions League.
The weekend`s winners go through to the competition final, to be played over two legs next month.
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Hits: 1 | Source:BBC | |
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