Football: African club competitions draw-La Passe and SMB handed tricky draw |27 December 2005

With the Confederation of African Football (Caf) having released the pairings for both competitions at the end of last week, La Passe and SMB already know their opponents.

Playing in the African Champions League for a second consecutive year and for a third time in five years, Sunkiss’d division one League champions La Passe have been given a tricky first round draw.

The La Digue-based team will play Mozambican representatives Ferroviario Maputo in the first round of the 10th edition of the lucrative African Champions League and in the event of an aggregate win, they will most likely meet Asante Kotoko of Ghana, winners in 1970 and 1983, who first play newcomers Aigle Dschang from Cameroon.

La Passe will host Ferroviario Maputo at Stad Linite during the weekend of February 17-19. The return leg match will be played on the weekend of March 3-5.

The second round matches are to take place on the weekends of March 17-19 and April 1-2.

Land Marine Cup winners SMB will tackle Township Rollers of Botswana on their African debut in the third edition of the African Confederation Cup.

Like La Passe, SMB will play the first leg at home on the weekend of February 17-19 and then travel to Botswana for the return match on the weekend of March 3-5.

If SMB happen to roll over Township Rollers, they will meet either ZESCO (Zambia) or Pointe aux Sable Mates (Mauritius) in the second round matches scheduled for the weekends of March 17-19 and April 1-2.

Sixty teams from across Africa will feature in the first round of the African Champions League.

Current holders Al Ahly of Egypt have a bye for the first round as do runners-up Etoile Sahel of Tunisia and Morocco's 2005 Confederation Cup champions, Far Rabat.

In the second round, Al Ahly will open their defence against Red Sea of Eritrea or a side from Kenya, who have yet to be determined.

Next year's field includes nine past winners, including Nigerian side Enyimba who were champions in 2003 and 2004. Their first round opponents in February are Mangasport of Gabon.

Clubs must play three knockout rounds until the final eight clubs are determined before the league phase begins earlier than usual in mid-May because of the World Cup finals in Germany.

Twelve countries are allowed to enter two teams while the rest of Africa's 53 members have only one representative.

The Comores will make their debut in the high-profile African Champion League with Coin Nord de Mitsamiouli being drawn against ASPL 2000 from Mauritius. In the African Confederation Cup, Elan Club Mitsoudje will play Ferroviario Beira of Mozambique.

After a two-year break, Reunion will be represented in the African Champions League by Excelsior St Joseph who will play USCAFOOT of Madagascar in the first round.

Meanwhile, Morocco's Royal Armed Forces club, Far Rabat, will not defend their
African Confederation Cup title won this year after they qualified to play in the elite Champions League.

The first round of the competition features 51 teams.

G. G.