Football: African club competitions-La Passe, SMB to resume training early January |28 December 2005

Land Marine Cup winners SMB have been paired against Township Rollers of Botswana on their African debut in the third edition of the African Confederation Cup and Sunkiss’d division one League champions La Passe play Mozambican representatives Ferroviario Maputo in the first round of the 10th edition of the lucrative African Champions League.

Both SMB and La Passe are to play their first leg preliminary round matches at home before flying to Botswana and Mozambique respectively to take on their opponents in the return leg encounters.

The home legs are on the weekend of February 17-19 and the return matches on the weekend of March 3-5.

But Sports Nation has learned that the Seychelles Football Federation (SFF) has written to the Confederation of African Football (Caf) asking for a change in the programme of matches.

SFF boss Suketu Patel confirmed that a letter has been sent to the African football governing body asking it to consider the SFF’s request for a change in the dates of the home leg matches. He added that a decision is likely to be taken after Caf consults the other teams.
 
If Caf accepts the SFF request, it will mean that either SMB or La Passe will play their first leg match at home and the other will have to play away.

Speaking to Sports Nation after he was told about his team’s opponents in the African Confederation Cup, Jeris César, SMB’s joint-coach, said:

“Playing African club football is a new experience for me and the team. We don’t know the kind of football played by teams from Botswana but I’m confident that my players will give their very best. The team have not stopped training since winning the Land Marine Cup although we have been taking things lightly. Full training will resume early January 2006.”

The local outfit will have to beat Botswana’s five-time FA Challenge Cup winners ‘Mighty Blues’ based in Gaborone to meet either ZESCO of Zambia or Pointe aux Sable Mates of Mauritius in the second round matches scheduled for the weekends of March 17-19 and April 1-2.

La Passe’s African adventure

La Passe will play in the African Champions League for a second year in a row after making their debut in 2003.

After twice being paired against opponents of the Indian Ocean region, the La Digue-based team have been drawn against Ferroviario Maputo of Mozambique in the first round of the African Champions League.

If La Passe happen to win on aggregate score against Ferroviario Maputo, the famous railway club in the Mozambican top league, it is very likely that, in the second round, they will meet Ghanaian outfit Asante Kotoko of Ghana who play newcomers Aigle Dschang from Cameroon in the first round.

It must be noted that Asante Kotoko were the winners of the African Champions Cup, the old version of the African Champions League, in 1970 and 1983.

Marius Fanchette, La Passe’s assistant coach, had this to say about the draw:
“Playing Ferroviario Maputo is likely to be tough, but our aim is to get to the first round.

It is the first time we have been drawn against a team from the African mainland and although we don’t know our opponents, we will have to do our best. Once again, we will play the first leg at home and this, for me, is a disadvantage. Playing the first leg away usually gives you the chance to study your opponents and you get to make the difference at home in the return leg. Until we play Ferroviario Maputo in mid-February, we will have enough time to train.”

Since making their debut in Africa, La Passe have not gone past the preliminary round of the African Champions League.

In 2003, Malagasy Bruno Saindini gave them a 1-0 home win against Mauritian side ASPL 2000 before losing the return leg match 0-2.

This year, they came from two goals down with goals by Henry Ladouce and Jude Ladouce to force a 2-2 draw against USJF Ravinala of Madagascar at Stad Linite. They then fell 1-4 in Madagascar in front of 30,000 spectators, with Bruno Saindini scoring their consolation goal.

Seychelles teams’ records against Mozambique and Botswana teams

In 2001 in the old African Cup Winners’ Cup, Sunshine dumped Mogoditshane Fighters of Botswana.

After losing the away leg 2-3, they won 2-1 at Stad Linite and although the aggregate score finished 4-4, they progressed to the second round on the away goals rule.

Denis Saunders and Brian Ravinia scored for Sunshine away from home. Central defender Ravinia, who now plays for Red Star, scored a brace from the penalty spot in the 2-1 home win.

Sunshine then lost 0-5 to South Africa’s Kaizer Chiefs in the second round.

In the same African Cup Winners’ Cup in 1997, Red Star walked over Maxaquene of Mozambique in the first round after having already won by walk-over against Club Namakia of Madagascar in the preliminary round.

Red Star bowed out of the competition in the second round, losing 0-5 on aggregate to Ste Louisienne of Reunion.

G. G.