By Mark Gleeson BBC Sport Online

Tunisian champions Esperance have strengthen their squad for the upcoming African Champions League by adding three players to their squad - and are likely to still sign two more.

The Nigerian striker Benedict Akwuegbu, who played against England at the World Cup finals last months, has gone on trial at the club.

Esperance are also looking for a successor to veteran goalkeeper Chokri El Ouaer, who retired with back problems in May.

Three stoppers - Ivorian international Jean-Jacques Tizie, Vitali Varivontchik from Belarus, and Nenad Lukic, a Yugoslav who last played in Bulgaria, are trying out with the club.

Also signed are Riadh Jelassi, formerly of Club Africain, and veteran midfielder Sirajeddine Chihi, back from a spell in Dubai, as they beef up their team for the upcoming African Champions League.

Permanent move

Swiss coach Marc Decastel has also snapped up Bechir Mogaadi, who has also previously been capped at full international level by Tunisia.

Akwuegbu, who had been playing for Shenyang, China, for the last six months, has joined up with Esperance at their pre-season training camp in Ain Drahem.

A decision on a possible permanent move will be decided later this week, press reports said.

The Tunis club are expecting to sell Mourad Melki, who went to the recent World Cup finals with Tunisia, to German club SpVgg Greuther Furth.

Akwuegbu would be a more than adequate replacement in attack.

Meanwhile Al Ahli of Libya, having last week made an approach for Ziad Jaziri, paid US$300,000 on Monday to sign defender Hamdi Marzouki, the captain of Club Africain.

Marzouki was a squad member at last month's World Cup finals in Japan.