Kaizer Chiefs have point to prove in Champions League South Africas Kaizer Chiefs are feeling the pressure to do well as the Champions League kicks off this weekend after rivals Orlando Pirates reached last years final. Chiefs return to the competition after a nine-year hiatus as South Africas representative and start their campaign on Saturday with a home tie in the first leg of their first round encounter with Black Africa from neighbouring Namibia. After Piratess success last year, and a sudden upsurge of interest in pan-African competition from usually haughty South African fans, Kaizer Chiefs coach Stuart Baxter says he hopes his side will not be burdened by expectations. We do think that Pirates have raised the bar for South Africa and we have a duty (to try and emulate them) but it is not an obligation that is weighing us down. The most important thing is we have to play, we have to represent the club and everybody else, the Chiefs coach told BBC sport. We do feel the pressure but Im hoping that the players are not going to get burdened with it because its a strange game and an unpredictable competition and there are a lot of shenanigans that go in in these Confederation of African Football competitions and so there is an element of luck to it too. As professionals we do look at what Pirates did and feel we have an obligation to follow in their footsteps, added Baxter, who is a former Bafana Bafana and Finland national coach. When I was in Sweden, I took AIK through into the group phase of the UEFA Champions League and for years after people were expecting the other (Swedish) clubs that followed to also get into the group stages. So I understand the bench mark of what Pirates have achieved. Baxter, who took his team to the title in his first season in charge, admits his side are going into the tie against the Windhoek club, who have won three successive Namibian championships, with little knowledge of their opponents. But Chiefs are expected to coast through in routine fashion. Ifeanyi Ede of Enyimba Enyimba will look to striker Ifeanyi Ede to fire them into a commanding position Among the other top clubs playing this weekend are five-time winners Zamalek of Egypt, Nigerias to Enyimba and Asante Kotoko of Ghana. Zamalek face AS Douanes of Niger, Enyimba welcome Togolese champions Ange de Notse and Kotoko play Liberias Barrack Young Controllers in first-leg preliminary round matches of the continents premier club competition. Defending champions Al Ahly of Egypt have been given a bye to the first round proper. Zamalek, for one, will aim for success in this years competition to make up lost ground on local rivals Ahly, who have been African champions a record eight times. Former international Ahmed Hossam, better known as Mido, has been given the task of restoring the Cairo clubs lost glory at the age of just 30. He began his tenure with a 1-0 win over Minya in a league game last week. The White Knights have lost star midfielder Shikabala to Sporting Lisbon of Portugal but they have recruited Mauritania international striker Dominique da Silva after he was released by rivals Ahly. Saturdays opponents AS Douanes of Niamey won their first Niger league championship last year and are making their continental debut. The confidence of two-time winners Enyimba has been boosted for their home game against Notse on Sunday by a recent win at an invitational tournament involving Nigerias top four clubs. The Peoples Elephant were the best team of the Super Four round-robin in Abuja, with newly-signed striker Abdulrahman Bashir scoring four goals to win player of the tournament. The club from the southern city of Aba will be strengthened with the return of striker Ifeanyi Ede and right-back Bright Esieme from the 2014 African Nations Championship in South Africa. Star defender Markson Ojobo said they will go for goals at home to make it easier in Togo. I dont like to predict the results of matches but I believe we will win very well on Sunday so that the return match in Lome will just be for the formalities, he said. Ghanas Kotoko, who have been crowned African champions twice, will be expected to go past Liberias Barrack Young Controllers at home and finish the job in Monrovia a week later. Ghanas other representatives in the competition, Berekum Chelsea , have rescinded a decision to pull out after they received a $20,000 lifeline from the Ghana Football Association. They will host South Sudans Atlabara . Berekum Chelsea, who reached the group stage of the 2012 Champions League, have grappled with financial problems since their main financier relocated to Canada. Libyas Al Ahly Benghazi will host Foullah Edifice of Chad in Tunis on Saturday. They have strengthened with the recruitment of Nigerian midfielder Moses Orkuma and compatriot Victor Namo, who was top scorer in his homeland last season with 18 goals. Im here to score goals for Al Ahly to justify the huge expectations on me, said Namo, whose goals ensured Kano Pillars reached the semi-finals of the 2009 Champions League.
Posted on: Fri, 07 Feb 2014 15:51:10 +0000
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