Civics go into Ivory Coast battle as underdogs

NAMIBIAN champions Civics will go into their second-round CAF Champions League football match as underdogs when they take on 1998 winners ASEC Mamosas of Ivory Coast in Abidjan this weekend.

The team left yesterday afternoon and will play their match on Sunday at 17h30, Namibian time. The Namibians qualified for the second round after shaming Angolan champions Sagrada Esperanca 5-2 on aggregate in their two first-leg matches in Windhoek and Luanda.Civics beat an out-of-sorts Angolan side 4-0 in the first match at the Independence Stadium, before they lost 2-1 on their away leg in Angola.The Civilians, as they are affectionately called by their handful of fervent fans, left with 18 players who are all capable of being in the starting line-up.Defender Amos Shiyuka will captain the team, which has had a consistent run in the local league despite the relative youth of its players compared to other teams in the league.Some of the younger players who have proven their mettle in the side against stronger and more experienced opponents are defenders Vladi Abrahams and Mentos Hipondoka, while midfielders Heinrich Isaacs and Rudi Louw have stood tall for their side in many battles.Jamunovandu Ngatjizeko is an exciting prospect whose work rate is giving his side an edge over many opponents.With the experience of Congo Hindjou, who also travelled with the team, the younger players are bound to find inspiration from him and Shiyuka.Another experienced player, striker Killian Kavari, will stay at home this time as he is suffering from an injury, while midfielder-turned-defender Hipondoka also stays at home due to injury.Civics will host Ivory Coast in Windhoek in two weeks’ time and if they beat them, they will go through to the third and final qualifying round of the competition.The players who left for Ivory Coast yesterday are: Vladimir Abrahams, Franklin April, Brian Brendell, Danny Chilufya, William Chilufya, Lucas Hashiti, Congo Hindjou, Heinrich Isaacs, Donny Isaacs, Marc Isaacs, Rudi Louw, Wilbert Mazembe, Peter Mabandje, Donelly Nel, Jamu Ngatjizeko, Zico Paulus, Amos Shiyuka and Tugela Tuyeni.* Meanwhile, Al-Ahly of Egypt have begun their challenge for a record-equalling fifth African Champions League title against modest Tusker in Kenya Saturday.The ‘Red Devils’ of Cairo conquered the continent in 1982, 1987, 2001 and last November overwhelmed Etoile Sahel of Tunisia 3-0 on aggregate in the two-leg decider.All of the winning team remains available to Portuguese coach Manuel Jose, including nine of the Egypt squad that pipped Ivory Coast on penalties last month in Cairo to win the African Nations Cup.A couple of those stars, shaven-haired defender Wael Gomaa and pin-up midfielder Mohamed Barakat, have overcome injuries that prevented them playing in the recent African Super Cup match.Many Ahly players looked weary after a stamina-sapping Nations Cup schedule of six matches in three weeks and the Egyptians needed a penalty shoot-out to shade African Confederation Cup holders FAR Rabat of Morocco, also in Cairo.While Ahly enjoyed a first round bye in the Champions League, Tusker beat Red Sea of Eritrea 3-1 in Nairobi and 1-0 in Asmara, but will lack suspended goalkeeper Victor Onyango this weekend.They are away to APR of Rwanda, another military club who completed a surprise first-round double over AS Aviacao of Angola, winning 3-2 in Kigali and 1-0 in Luanda.Enyimba of Nigeria, whose 2004 triumph marked only the second successful defence of the Champions League, did not impress against Mangasport of Gabon and must be wary of experienced campaigners Diaraf of Senegal in Dakar.Orlando Pirates (1995 champions) of South Africa face a potential banana skin in Mauritius against well-organised ASPL 2000 and JS Kabylie (1981, 1990) take on limited Zanaco in Zambia.Raja Casablanca (1989, 1997, 1999 winners) are involved in another north-versus-south clash and their 5-0 midweek thrashing of Sudanese side Al-Hilal in the Arab Champions League must concern Zimbabwe visitors CAPS United.The 16 fixtures are scheduled for Friday, Saturday and Sunday and the 16 winners advance to the third and final qualifying round for the 3,5-million-dollar group phase.-Additional reporting by Nampa-AFPThe Namibians qualified for the second round after shaming Angolan champions Sagrada Esperanca 5-2 on aggregate in their two first-leg matches in Windhoek and Luanda.Civics beat an out-of-sorts Angolan side 4-0 in the first match at the Independence Stadium, before they lost 2-1 on their away leg in Angola.The Civilians, as they are affectionately called by their handful of fervent fans, left with 18 players who are all capable of being in the starting line-up.Defender Amos Shiyuka will captain the team, which has had a consistent run in the local league despite the relative youth of its players compared to other teams in the league.Some of the younger players who have proven their mettle in the side against stronger and more experienced opponents are defenders Vladi Abrahams and Mentos Hipondoka, while midfielders Heinrich Isaacs and Rudi Louw have stood tall for their side in many battles.Jamunovandu Ngatjizeko is an exciting prospect whose work rate is giving his side an edge over many opponents.With the experience of Congo Hindjou, who also travelled with the team, the younger players are bound to find inspiration from him and Shiyuka.Another experienced player, striker Killian Kavari, will stay at home this time as he is suffering from an injury, while midfielder-turned-defender Hipondoka also stays at home due to injury.Civics will host Ivory Coast in Windhoek in two weeks’ time and if they beat them, they will go through to the third and final qualifying round of the competition.The players who left for Ivory Coast yesterday are: Vladimir Abrahams, Franklin April, Brian Brendell, Danny Chilufya, William Chilufya, Lucas Hashiti, Congo Hindjou, Heinrich Isaacs, Donny Isaacs, Marc Isaacs, Rudi Louw, Wilbert Mazembe, Peter Mabandje, Donelly Nel, Jamu Ngatjizeko, Zico Paulus, Amos Shiyuka and Tugela Tuyeni.* Meanwhile, Al-Ahly of Egypt have begun their challenge for a record-equalling fifth African Champions League title against modest Tusker in Kenya Saturday.The ‘Red Devils’ of Cairo conquered the continent in 1982, 1987, 2001 and last November overwhelmed Etoile Sahel of Tunisia 3-0 on aggregate in the two-leg decider.All of the winning team remains available to Portuguese coach Manuel Jose, including nine of the Egypt squad that pipped Ivory Coast on penalties last month in Cairo to win the African Nations Cup.A couple of those stars, shaven-haired defender Wael Gomaa and pin-up midfielder Mohamed Barakat, have overcome injuries that prevented them playing in the recent African Super Cup match.Many Ahly players looked weary after a stamina-sapping Nations Cup schedule of six matches in three weeks and the Egyptians needed a penalty shoot-out to shade African Confederation Cup holders FAR Rabat of Morocco, also in Cairo.While Ahly enjoyed a first round bye in the Champions League, Tusker beat Red Sea of Eritrea 3-1 in Nairobi and 1-0 in Asmara, but will lack suspended goalkeeper Victor Onyango this weekend.They are away to APR of Rwanda, another military club who completed a surprise first-round double over AS Aviacao of Angola, winning 3-2 in Kigali and 1-0 in Luanda.Enyimba of Nigeria, whose 2004 triumph marked only the second successful defence of the Champions League, did not impress against Mangasport of Gabon and must be wary of experienced campaigners Diaraf of Senegal in Dakar.Orlando Pirates (1995 champions) of South Africa face a potential banana skin in Mauritius against well-organised ASPL 2000 and JS Kabylie (1981, 1990) take on limited Zanaco in Zambia.Raja Casablanca (1989, 1997, 1999 winners) are involved in another north-versus-south clash and their 5-0 midweek thrashing of Sudanese side Al-Hilal in the Arab Champions League must concern Zimbabwe visitors CAPS United.The 16 fixtures are scheduled for Friday, Saturday and Sunday and the 16 winners advance to the third and final qualifying round for the 3,5-million-dollar group phase.-Additional reporting by Nampa-AFP