Julius Berger are short of five regulars

Julius Berger are short of five regulars while a battle-weary Etoile are missing key players and nursing a battery of injuries going into the match.

Julius Berger, one of Nigeria's most popular clubs, will have to do without strikers Hassan Boyo and Amaechi Nwanze while defender Uche Sherrif is suspended for the first leg.

The Nigerian club also lost the services of the former African Footballer of the Year, Rachidi Yekini.

The 39-year-old striker walked out on the club claiming he was not being played enough.

Muftau Ibrahim, who scored four goals in the earlier rounds of the competition, is having trials in Germany.

Nigerian striker Ogochukwu Obiakor, who scored in the semi-final win over holders Wydad Casablanca of Morocco, misses the game for Etoile through suspension.

Etoile defenders Mohamed Miladi and Abdesselem Arafa are out with injury and there is some doubt over the fitness of their Nigeria international goalkeeper Austin Ejide.

Etoile Sahel returned home for just 24 hours from an Arab Champions League game in Algeria before setting off for Abeotuka, 140 km north of Lagos, on Wednesday.

They participate in their fifth continental cup final in the last eight years, having won the Cup Winners Cup in 1997 and Caf Cup in 1995 and 1999.

They were Caf Cup runners-up in 1996.

Etoile are coached by Ammar Souayeh, who took Tunisia to last year's World Cup finals in Japan.