Township Rollers eye shock CL triumph
JOHANNESBURG, Feb 19, (AFP): Nigerian club Akwa United face a second humiliating CAF Confederation Cup preliminary-round exit unless they score at least twice away to Banjul Hawks in the Gambia this week.
The west African teams meet Wednesday with the unfancied Hawks holding a shock 2-1 lead from the first leg in southern Nigerian city Uyo this month.
Muhammed Jallow and Lamin Charty gave the unfancied Gambians a two-goal half-time lead before Victor Mbaoma offered Akwa a glimmer of hope by halving the deficit.
A draw will suffice for the Hawks at home and even a 1-0 loss would take them through to the round of 32 on away goals.
“We learnt a very painful lesson at home,” admitted Akwa coach Abdu Maikaba. “Lots of mental strength will be needed in the Gambia to turn the tie around.
“I respect the Hawks as a very good side who play compact football and are quick to get behind the ball when dispossessed.”
Akwa were bundled out of the second-tier Confederation Cup — the African equivalent of the UEFA Europa League — in the preliminary round two seasons ago.
After winning 1-0 away to Congo Brazzaville’s Vita Club Mokanda, they fell by a similar score at home and lost the penalty shootout.
Being felled by the Hawks would be an even greater embarrassment for Akwa as Nigeria are a top-10 African football nation while the Gambia are among the lowest ranked.
Hawks coach Ansumana Fatty is banking on another outstanding performance from goalkeeper Yankuba Colley, a star of the first-leg triumph.
Jallow
“Akwa created many chances at home only to be defied by our brilliant goalkeeper. We have the overall advantage, but dare not assume the tie is over.”
Several CAF title winners are in danger of being eliminated with at least one guaranteed to fall by the wayside.
Former African champions CARA of Congo Brazzaville and Asante Kotoko of Ghana meet in central Africa after a bizarre first leg.
Kotoko missed three penalties and CARA one before Yakubu Mohammed converted the fifth spot-kick of the match in stoppage time to give Kotoko a 1-0 win.
Hafia of Guinea, who reached five African Cup of Champions Clubs finals in the 1970s and won three, trail Energie of Benin 1-0, but have home advantage.
Three-time CAF competition winners Africa Sports of the Ivory Coast are away to Nouadhibou of Mauritania having been held 1-1 in Abidjan.
Meanwhile, Township Rollers from Botswana top a list of clubs capable of creating shocks when the CAF Champions League preliminary round resumes Tuesday with return matches.
Generation Foot of Senegal, Otoho of Congo Brazzaville, LISCR of Liberia and Williamsville of the Ivory Coast are also in advantageous positions to cause upsets.
Rollers last weekend sprang the surprise of the first legs in the elite African club competition when they hammered Sudanese visitors Al Merrikh 3-0 in Gaborone.
The southern Africa club have never made an impact in various CAF competitions while Merrikh reached the Champions League semifinals three seasons ago.
Leading by two goals at half-time, Rollers sealed their finest international performance when substitute Segolame Boy netted from his first touch. of Kevin Na and Tony Finau, who both carded 69s for 10-under 274.
Watson’s 10th PGA Tour victory capped a halcyon week in Hollywood for the two-time Masters champion, who recorded a show with US comedy icon Jay Leno, dropped in on comedian and chat show host Ellen DeGeneres, took in a taping of TV sitcom “The Big Bang Theory” and played in the NBA All-Star Celebrity Game on Friday night.
He shot to the top of the leaderboard on Saturday with a third-round 65.
A birdie at the par-five first on Sunday looked promising, but three bogeys on the front nine left him trailing at the turn.
Na’s back-to-back birdies at 10 and 11 saw him move to 11-under, but his bid stalled with a brace of bogeys at 12 and 13.
Patrick Cantlay, who trailed Watson by one stroke going into the round, also reached 11-under before bogeys at 12 and 13.
Cantlay, who was seeking a second semifinal victory over Barcelona on the way to winning the trophy in 2012.
Messi missed a penalty in the second leg at the Nou Camp as the London club overcame the first-half dismissal of captain John Terry, and a 2-0 deficit, to draw the game 2-2 and secure an unforgettable 3-2 aggregate win.
Bayern Munich hosts Besiktas in Tuesday’s other game while the following day sees Manchester United traveling to Sevilla, and Shakhtar Donetsk playing host to Roma.
Two weeks ago, the prospect of a Chelsea win over Barca would have been unthinkable after Conte’s men had
Barcelona’s Argentinian forward Lionel Messi (right), vies with Eibar’s Spanish defender Anaitz Arbilla during the Spanish league football match between SD
Eibar and FC Barcelona at the Ipurua Stadium in Eibar on Feb 17. (AFP)