ASEC Mimosas reaped the fruits of many years of planning in 1998 when the Ivorian side became African champions in the year of their 50th anniversary.

The club's president, Roger Ouegnin, has been showered with praise as the architect of ASEC's success story by establishing a football academy.

Graduates from the Mimo-Sifcom Academy, as it is known, won the African Super Cup in 1999, beating Esperance of Tunisia in Abidjan with a display of astounding skills.

Some of them, like Anderlecht's Aruna Dindane, will not be playing in this year's Champions League after moving to Europe to play in France and Belgium.

Hopes for a second title lie on the shoulders of a new crop of graduates, blended with some old guard from the 1998 winning side.

Penalty rescue

ASEC missed out narrowly on a first title in 1995 when the trophy was snatched from under their noses by South Africa's Orlando Pirates in Abidjan.

Pirates won the second leg 1-0 to devastate the Mimosas fans who had expected to run over the visitors after ASEC drew 2-2 in Johannesburg.

ASEC's reputation should put them among the favourites to lift the trophy but it would not be safe to say they could repeat their past form on the way to the title.

The Ivorians were not convincing in the last two rounds against Stade Malien and Senegal's Diaraf, and needed penalties to eliminate both sides.

This year's competition will be yet another tough test for a young squad