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Page last updated at 19:28 GMT, Friday, 31 July 2009 20:28 UK

Kano Pillars face Merreikh threat

CAF Champions League trophy
The Champions League gets going again this weekend

There are three remaining Champions League matches still to take place this weekend.

Both Al Merreikh and Kano Pillars are looking for their first win in the Group A.

In Group B, TP Mazembe and Monomotapa won their opening games.


Group A

Sari of El Merreikh (l) vies for the ball with Ambili of Al Hilal (r)
Al Hilal host Zesco United whilst El Merreikh travel to Nigeria

With draws all round in the opening matches of this group phase, the opportunity is there for teams to take a big lead in the standings this weekend.

Sudan's Al Hilal is one team who has already done so.

They beat Zesco United of Zambia 1-0 on Friday to move to the top of the group.

The other match in group A features the other Sudanese team,Al Merreikh going away from home for the first time.

They travel to Kano Pillars of Nigeria, who deposed last year's champions Al Ahly.

But Merreikh have a host of Nigerians in their team - among them strikers Stephen Worgu and Endurance Idahor, who will be very aware of the challenges ahead.

The game in Kano is on Sunday.


Group B

Monomotapa in action against ASEC Mimosas
Monomotapa will hope to take their impressive home form to Nigeria

The two winners from the first round of matches both travel away from home this weekend.

Zimbabwe's Monomotapa, who beat former champions Etoile du Sahel 2-1 in their opening game, travel to Heartland of Nigeria.

Heartland were beaten in their first match byTP Mazembe, but Heartland's technical adviser Kelechi Emeteole blamed that on a dispute within in the club which he said had now been resolved.

"Before we went to play Mazembe, there was a problem within the team, but now everything has been resolved we have no choice but to win this next match," he told BBC Fast Track.

Heartland have been in a training camp all week in preparation for Sunday's game.

TP Mazembe of DR Congo also travel, this time to Etoile du Sahel in Tunisia.

Mazembe's win in their first game put them on top of the group on goal difference and an away victory would see them take a huge step towards the semi-finals.

Etoile badly need to bounce back or they will be left stranded at the bottom of the table.

The top two teams in each group qualify for the semis.



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see also
2009 Champions League statistics
19 Sep 09 |  African
Monomotapa stun Etoile
19 Jul 09 |  African


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