 Ghana's Hearts of Oak will play AS Dounaes of Senegal |
History will be made in Africa this weekend when continental losers could turn out to be winners in the Confederation Cup.
After three qualifying rounds in the Confederation Cup, the eight survivors are joined by the eight teams that lost in the final elimination round in the Champions League.
The Champions League losers all enjoy home advantage in the first legs and many look capable of establishing winning leads in the hunt for places in the eight-team group phase which gets underway in August.
The Confederation Cup is modelled on Europe's Uefa Cup where some Champions League failures are given a second chance and can go on to lift the trophy.
Top of the bill on Sunday is the clash in Kumasi between Asante Kotoko of Ghana and Morocco's Wydad Casablanca, a tie which is a repeat of the 2002 Cup Winners' Cup final won by the North Africans on away goals.
Both sides are also former African champions, but for some time now they have lived in the shadow of domestic rivals Hearts of Oak and Raja Casablanca.
Kotoko should be marginally fresher with the national championship having only started recently, while Wydad have just finished fourth in their championship (which was won by Raja).
Neither club is shy when it comes to changing coaches, with Kotoko having sacked two since interrupting the dominance of Hearts last year while at Wydad this week, Frenchman Jacky Bonnevay replaced Mohamed 'Cherif' Chahid.
Ghana's third challengers in the event are Hearts of Oak, who host Douanes of Senegal.
Meanwhile, Green Buffaloes of Zambia travel to Cameroon's Cotonsport Garoua, whose compatriots Canon Yaounde entertain South African side Santos.
Petro Atletico of Angola, who were Champions League semi-finalists in 2001, play military outfit FAR Rabat of Morocco in Luanda.
The second leg ties take place on the weekend of 23-25 July, with the eight sides reaching the group phase set to grab a share of US$500,000 prize money.
The funds have been put up by International Sport Event, who were announced as the sponsors of the competition on Thursday.
MMIX
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