AFRICAN CHAMPIONS LEAGUE 2015 - 2ND ROUND / 1ST LEG - PREVIEW
There will be a show of force by North African clubs in the Champions League this weekend with nine of the 16 survivors from the region.
Among them are defending champions Entente Setif, one of three Algerian sides involved in last-16, first-leg fixtures.
Record eight-time African champions Al Ahly, the Egyptian outfit who have twice won the competition in successive seasons, are also involved.
Algerians El Eulma and USMA, Tunisians Esperance and CS Sfaxien, Moroccans Raja Casablanca and Moghreb Tetouan and Egyptians Smouha complete the nine-prong challenge.
Regional derbies guarantee three North African qualifiers for the group phase and there could be six.
Eulma and Sfaxien, Tetouan and Ahly, and Raja and Setif square off, USMA host Guineans Kaloum, and Esperance and Smouha are away to Sudanese El Merrikh and Congolese AC Leopards respectively.
Sanga Balende have home advantage over Sudanese Al Hilal and fellow Democratic Republic of Congo club TP Mazembe confront Stade Malien in Mali in the only matches with no North African involvement.