USMA's Hocine Achiou is aiming to improve Algeria's football fortunes

Algerian football will be seeking consolation on Friday when club side USM Algier play a vital African Champions League game.

After last weekend's humiliating 2006 World Cup qualifying 3-0 home defeat against Gabon, Algerian football was left in a state of shock.

But club champions USMA will be hoping to rescue the country's image when they face Tunisia's Esperance in a Group B tie in the Champions League.

Esperance lead the group with maximum nine points from the three games played while USMA are third with three points.

Both sides have already met on three occasions in the past year in this same competition, with Esperance having the edge.

A win for the Tunisians will put them in the semi-finals with two more games remaining.

However, victory is imperative for the Algerian side to be assured of a last-four berth.

Three Algerian internationals from Sunday's World Cup defeat will line up for the game in the 5th July Stadium in Algiers.

USMA star midfielder Houcine Achiou will face Esperance's Algerian signings, Karim Ghazi and striker Daoud Bouabdallah.

Defender Salim Arribi is injured and may not be fit in time to play for USMA.

Meanwhile, Esperance welcome back five players from World Cup duty against Morocco, including captain Khaled Badra and Brazilian-born Jose Clayton who was sent-off in Rabat.

On Saturday, Jeanne d'Arc of Senegal, who are second in Group B, host South Africa's SuperSport United in Dakar.

If Jeanne d'Arc on four points could secure three more, they will be well-placed to contend for a semi-final place.

SuperSport, who are still seeking a first win, have only one point from three matches.

Another Tunisian side Etoile Sportive Sahel lead Group A with a 100 percent record.

Etoile travel to Aba to play African champions Enyimba, who were beaten by the Tunisians 1-0 in a previous tie last month.

Zoubeir Beya, who scored the added time goal in Sousse, will be unfit to travel to Aba, where Enyimba have never lost a continental match.

They defeated Etoile at the same venue in the African Super Cup earlier this year.

Enyimba have not scored less than three goals at home and victory will put them at the top of the group.

Elsewhere, disappointing Africa Sports of the Ivory Coast host Malawian side Bakili Bullets in Abidjan.

Africa have lost all their matches and their troubles off the pitch continue, with six points having been deducted from the club in the Ivorian league following a Fifa sanction.

Africa Sports were accused of failing to pay money to two agents of former coaches after a 31 August deadline expired.

Meanwhile, Bakili Bullets' top striker Ganizani Malunga has surprisingly been left out of the squad of 16 that is heading to Abidjan.