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African Champions League 2014 - group stage - 2nd matches - fixtures

Democratic Republic of Congo rivals AS Vita Club and TP Mazembe will meet this weekend in a Champions League tie only two weeks after their last match ended in tragedy. Fifteen people were killed and dozens more injured in a stampede at the sides' league match at the Tata Raphael Stadium in Kinshasa. The Confederation of African Football has expressed its deepest sympathy to the families of the deceased but the governing body has put no specific security measures in place for Sunday's game in Lubumbashi.

While Mazembe were 1:0 winners in that fateful league match, clinching the league title in the process, the club are bottom of their Champions League group and AS Vita are top after the first matchday. Vita beat Egyptians Zamalek 1:0, while Mazembe fell 1-0 to Al Hilal of Sudan. It means there is a lot at stake on and off the pitch for the teams, who will each be keen for a victory and a peaceful event.

Those opening results also mean the pressure is on Zamalek as they face Al Hilal in the weekend's other Group A tie. But Zamalek coach Mido remains confident, telling reporters: ""We will not drop any points during the coming games." He also wrote on Twitter: "I am betting on us qualifying from this group and reaching the final after a lengthy absence."

The last of Zamalek's five African triumphs came 12 years ago when they edged Moroccans Raja Casablanca 1:0 over two legs. Hilal will be wary of Moemen Zakariya, the leading Zamalek scorer in Africa this season with three goals. No Sudanese has scored more than once, but Mido must have noted the aerial strength of Salah Al-Jazouli, which brought him the winner against Mazembe.

Tunisians Esperance , favourites to win Group B and go on to secure a third title, suffered a shock 2:1 home defeat against Algerians Entente Setif last weekend. They travel to Sudanese city Omdurman for the match against Al Ahli Benghazi, who cannot play at home because of civil unrest. Haythem Jouini of Esperance and Zimbabwe-born Edward Sadomba of Benghazi have scored 10 Champions League goals between them this season.

The other fixture pits Setif against Tunisians CS Sfaxien in a top-of-the-table.

 

23 May 2014
(BBC Sport UK)

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