Cameroon and Nigeria are the two African countries fancied to achieve success at the forthcoming World Cup finals.

But it is a different kettle of fish at continental club level.

Chances of either country being represented in the eight team league format of the Champions League looks very bleak indeed.

Cameroon's representatives in the competition, Cotonsport from Garoua, have already been eliminated.

They were beaten in the first round by Etoile du Congo.

It was the second successive year that a Cameroonian side failed to qualify for the last eight of the Champions League

Nigeria's Enyimba have to reverse a three goal deficit if they are to make the next round of the continent's richest club competition.

They lost 1-4 in the away leg to ASEC Abidjan, and look likely to maintain Nigeria's record of never having won the competition.

But clubs from Africa's three other World Cup-bound countries are fancied to match national team success.

Good fortune

Tunisia are the only country to have participated in every Champions League competition since the change in format in 1997.

Esperance, crowned domestic champions earlier this week, are odds on favourites to maintain that record.

They take a 4-0 lead to Tripoli for Sunday's second leg tie against Al Madina from neighbouring Libya.

Senegal's Jeanne d'Arc have a healthy 3-0 lead over Stade Malien ahead of the return game in Dakar.

South Africa's Orlando Pirates are also fancied to overcome TP Mazembe in Tembisa, near Johannesburg, on Saturday.

Pirates got a 1-1 away draw in the first leg in Lubumbashi a fortnight ago.

The eight weekend winners go into the draw on May 11 for the Champions League proper, which begins in August.