Dolphin set to bury Morocco bogey

CS Sfaxien need to overturn a 1-0 deficit against Issia Wazi

Dolphin of Nigeria will be hoping for better luck on Sunday on their second Confederation Cup venture to Morocco.

The club from the south eastern city of Port Harcourt take a 1-0 lead to Hassania Agadir as the three-round qualifying programme draws to a close this weekend.

But Dolphin barely need reminding that after taking a similar advantage to FAR Rabat in the 2005 Confederation Cup final, the west Africans suffered a 3-0 second leg drubbing.

Kola Anubi scored midway through the first half to separate the clubs two weeks ago in a scrappy match that left rival coaches Austin Eguavoen and Miguel Gamondi dissatisfied.

Eguavoen craves international success having failed to take Nigeria to the 2006 World Cup and having to settle for bronze medals at the Nations Cup last year.

He remains with the Super Eagles as an assistant to German Berti Vogts and answered a plea to assist coach Ifeanyi Onyedika when Dolphin made a poor start to the domestic season.

Gamondi and 1996 Nations Cup-winning captain Neil Tovey guided Mamelodi Sundowns to the South Africa title last year only to be axed when the Pretoria club made a faltering start to their defence.

The Argentine has made little impact at Agadir, who remain firmly entrenched in mid-table, and Confederation Cup failure could signal the end for the South American.

Nigeria are guaranteed at least one club in the May playoffs between the Confederation Cup third round winners and the Champions League third round losers.

Chukwuma Akabueze converted a last minute penalty Wednesday to give Kwara United a 3-2 win over Cameroonian visitors Union Douala in a stormy clash after a drawn first leg.

And more disappointment is in store for football followers in the Atlantic port of Douala as another local team, Astres, face the daunting task of wiping out a 3-0 deficit against Cup surprise packets Benfica Luanda of Angola.

An Mbungu Mputu hat-trick earned Benfica an advantage they are unlikely to surrender considering they triumphed 5-1 in Equatorial Guinea and drew 0-0 in the Democratic Republic of Congo in previous rounds.

Tunisian clubs CS Sfaxien and Gaouafel Gafsa are also well placed to make the play-offs that determine which eight clubs go forward to the group phase in search of a US$40,000 first prize.

Sfaxien trail Issia Wazi of Ivory Coast 1-0 after conceding a goal on the stroke of half-time in Abidjan to leading Confederation Cup scorer Wilfried Bony, who raised his tally to six from three matches.

But Swiss coach Michel Decastel believes unlucky 2006 Champions League runners-up Sfaxien will sweep Issia aside in the south eastern town of Sfax.

"After losing the Champions League final against Ahly of Egypt to a stoppage time goal, Sfaxien lost key players like defender Wissem al-Abdi and midfielder and captain Anis Boujelbene to Cairo clubs.

"I am now focusing on building a new team and with the Tunisian title beyond our reach, the Confederation Cup is the primary objective. We are capable of going all the way," vowed Decastel.

African debutants Gafsa have adapted impressively to continental fare and are favoured to eliminate Rwandan outfit ATRACO after coming from behind twice in Kigali to force a 2-2 draw.

Ismailia of Egypt needed a stoppage time goal from Omar Gamal to edge Zambian army club Green Buffaloes 201 in Alexandria and a team guided by former Guinea coach Patrice Neveu could face a torrid time in Lusaka.

Al-Merreikh of Sudan also boast a high-profile coach in German Otto Pfister, who led Togo at the 2006 World Cup, and his mission in Omdurman is to overcome a 1-0 loss inflicted by ASO Chlef in Algeria.

Experienced international campaigners Etoile Filante of Burkina Faso appear to have the edge over African rookies Mwana Africa of Zimbabwe after building a 2-0 lead at home thanks to goals by Issou Ouattara and Gervais Sanou.