Football: 19th Orange Caf Champions League 2015 and 12th Orange Caf Confederation Cup draw |24 December 2014

St Michel, Côte d’Or draw tough opponents

Barclays league division one outfits St Michel and Côte d’Or have been handed tough opponents in the opening rounds of the 2015 19th Orange Caf Champions League and 12th Orange Caf Confederation Cup.

League champions St Michel have been drawn against Mamelodi Sundowns of South Africa and will host their South African opponents for first leg match of the preliminary round during the weekend of February 13-15, 2015. The return leg will be played in South Africa between February 27 and March 1, 2015.

The South African press has described the draw as relatively easy for Absa Premiership defending champions Mamelodi Sundowns, adding that the Champions League offers the ambitious club another opportunity to lay their hands on the trophy that is highly coveted by owner Patrice Motsepe but has continued to elude them over the years.

Coached by Pitso Mosimane, Mamelodi Sundowns came close to lifting the continental tournament in 2001 but lost 1-4 on aggregate score to Egyptian giants Al Ahly after a 1-1 draw in South Africa and a 3-0 thumping in Cairo.

If St Michel win the two-legged fixture, they will meet TP Mazembe of the Democratic Republic of Congo who have won a bye into the first round in mid-March at home before playing away between April 3-5, 2015.

St Michel progressed to the first round of the Caf Confederation Cup last year after winning on penalties against ASSM Elgeco Plus of Madagascar in the preliminary round. They won the first leg on a 2-1 score at Stad Linite with new Malagasy striker Jocelyn Fenesoa scoring their goals, but lost the return fixture 1-2, meaning the aggregate score was tied at 3-3. A penalty shootout was needed to determine the winners and St Michel won it 7-6 and 10-9 on aggregate.

Against How Mine of Zimbabwe in the first round, St Michel registered a good 3-1 win at Stad Linite in the return fixture but were eliminated 6-4 on aggregate in the first round as they had lost 1-5 away.

As for Côte d’Or they will play Ethiopian side Dedebit in the Caf Confederations Cup preliminary round. The first leg is slated for the weekend of February 13-15, 2015 on home soil and the return leg will be played in Ethiopia between February 27 and March 1, 2015.

A win on aggregate score for Praslin side Côte d’Or will see them take on either Nigerian side Warri Wolves or Burkina Faso Super division team RCB in the first round. Côte d’Or will have to play away from home in the first leg between March 13-15, 2015 before receiving their opponents on April 3-5, 2015.

Côte d’Or, who qualified for the competition after St Michel beat them in the Intelvision Cup final to complete a league a cup double, made their debut in the Orange Caf Champions league last year and were eliminated in the preliminary round by Angolan side Kabuscorp do Palanca who proved to be a class above them.

Kabuscorp do Palanca easily won 2-1 at Stad Linite and 5-1 away for a 7-2 aggregate score to progress to the next round.

Meanwhile, as both first leg matches are to be played during the same period and Seychelles teams are to host their opponents, the Seychelles Football Federation has said it has written to the Confederation of African Football to request for one to be played away and the other at home as we only have one stadium of international standard.

G. G.