Etoile Sahel won the last-ever Cup Winners Cup final

The maiden edition has failed to attract the enthusiasm from some countries who could afford to enter two teams instead of one.

Algeria and Egypt have only CR Belouizdad and Ismaili in the competition, which is seeking to attract more sponsorship.

The Confederation Cup is a fusion of the previous Caf Cup and Cup Winners Cup competition, both of which staged their last finals in 2003.

The new tournament is modelled in a similar fashion to Europe's newly-formulated Uefa Cup after the Cup Winners Cup was also scrapped.

But the 2003 Caf and Cup Winners Cup holders - Moroccan side Raja Casablanca and Tunisia's Etoile Sahel respectively - have opted to play in the Champions League, where the prize money for winning the tournament amounts to US $1 million.

One of the big games of the weekend's first-leg encounters is the clash between Express of Uganda and Ethiopian side Coffee which takes place in Kampala on Saturday.

A 'sugar-war' will be the main focus for East Africans as Kenya's Chemilil Sugar host their Tanzanian counterparts Mtibwa Sugar.

Meanwhile, the tie between Djoliba of Mali and Wallidan of Gambia in Bamako promises to be a lively affair.