Football: African Champions League – preliminary round-St Michel play Young Buffaloes tomorrow |29 January 2011
The Seychelles Barclays league division one champions will be in action tomorrow against Swaziland’s debutants Young Buffaloes in the preliminary round of Africa’s premier club tournament – the Champions League.
St Michel will be looking to go past the first hurdle for the eighth time in 12 years since their continental debut in 1997.
After the draw in December last year, coach Ralph ‘Tiapout’ Jean-Louis, who was recently named the Seychelles team coach, said: "We know very little about them. We have a good chance of going past the preliminary round. Playing away first will surely give us the edge over them, and hopefully we can overcome them to earn some more respect.
“All this depends on how hungry the players are for victory and what they want to achieve from the African Champions League.”
After Sunday’s game, St Michel are expected to hold a training camp in Swaziland, with two friendly matches on the programme.
They will travel to South Africa on Wednesday February 2 and play another friendly match before returning home on Friday February 4.
The team will use the training camp to prepare for the second leg match scheduled for the weekend of February 11-13 at the Stad Linite – a venue where St Michel have won seven times, scoring 21 goals in 17 matches.
The winners on aggregate score after the two legs will meet either Zesco United of Zambia or Liga Muculmana of Mozambique in the first round, to be played in March and April.
Headed by Danny Poiret, the 27-member St Michel delegation includes Nelson Sopha, Gino Melanie, Samuel Henriette, Godfrey Denis, Lorenzo Mathiot, Joel Barbé, Jimmy Radafison, Allen Larue, Nigel Freminot, Francis Nourrice, Henny Dufresne, Gervais Waye-Hive, Alex Nibourette, Karl Hall, Leroy Mathiot, Bernard St Ange, Leroy Corallie, Don Anacoura, Nelson Laurence, Wilnes Brutus, Fulgence Rajaoniasy, Darwin Rosette, Bernard Toulon, Andrew Jean-Louis, Ralph Jean-Louis, Marcel Labiche and Maggie Lespoir.
A total of 44 clubs are in action in the preliminary round, while holders TP Mazembe and eight others namely E.S.S. (Algeria), Al Ahly (Egypt), Ittihad (Libya), Stade Malien (Mali), Hilal (Sudan), Merrikh (Sudan), E.S.T. (Tunisia) and Dynamos (Zimbabwe) drew a bye straight into the second round.
This weekend’s fixtures
AS Forces Armées Nigeriennes (Niger) v JCA Treichville (Ivory Coast)
Saint Michel de Ouenzé (Congo) v Enyimba FC (Nigeria)
Union Sportive de Bitam (Gabon) v Les Astres de Douala (Cameroon)
O. Real de Bangui (Central Africa) v Moloudia C. d’Alger (Algeria)
East End Lions FC (Sierra Leone) v Djoliba (Mali)
ASC Les Jaraafs (Senegal) v Gambia Ports A. (Gambia)
ASPAC FC (Benin) v DVO. Mongomo (Equatorial Guinea)
Asec Mimosas (Côte d’Ivoire) v ASC SNIM –Cansando (Mauritania)
Motor Action FC (Zimbabwe) V Cnaps Sports (Madagascar)
Raja Club Athlétic (Morocco) v Tourbillon (Chad)
Unlinzi Stars Football (Kenya) v Zamalek (Egypt)
APR FC (Rwanda) v Club Africain (Tunisia)
Club Recreativo Caala (Angola) v Saint George (Ethiopia)
Elan Club de Mitsoudjé (Comores) v Simba Sports Club (Tanzania)
Mighty Barolle (Liberia) v Kano Pillars (Nigeria)
Widad de Casablanca (Morocco) v Aduana Stars FC (Ghana)
Fello Star de Labe (Guinea) v AS Faso – Yennega (Burkina Faso)
Vital’O FC (Burundi) v Coton Sport (Cameroon)
Zanzibar Ocean View (Zanzibar) v AS Vita Club (DR Congo)
Supersport (South Africa) v Matlama FC (Lesotho)
Young Buffaloes FC (Swaziland) v St Michel United (Seychelles)
Zesco United (Zambia) v Liga Desportiva M. (Mozambique)
G. G.