Tough Champions league draw for Hearts of Oak

Ghana's Hearts of Oak, the overwhelming favourites to win the African Champions League on Sunday, have been given a tough start to next year's campaign. Hearts, who qualify for the 2001 Champions League irrespective of whether they beat Esperance of Tunisia in Sunday's final, were drawn against Etoile du Congo in a difficult first round assignment in March.

The Confederation of African Football (CAF) in Accra released the draw for all three of Africa's club competitions next year on Saturday.

Hearts' lead Esperance 2-1 from the first leg of this year's final, played in Tunis a fortnight ago. The second leg is being played in Accra on Sunday.

Esperance, who like Hearts of Oak qualify as domestic champions, have a much easier start with a first round tie against JS Tenere of Niger. The Tunisians are one of four former African champions in the field. ASEC Abidjan meet neighbours Stade Malien in the first round, while Egypt's Al Ahli are up against the winner of the preliminary round tie between lightweights Red Sea from Eritrea and Chad's Tourbillon.

The 1999 winners Raja Casablanca, whose defence of their title this year ended with a surprise defeat in the second round, try again against either Mangasport of Gabon or USFA from Burkina Faso, who meet in the preliminary round in February. Clubs from Gabon were allowed late entry into next year's competitions after missing the November 30 deadline set by CAF. TP Mazembe Englebert from the Democratic Republic of Congo will be seeking to rekindle memories of their double triumph in the late 1960s when they return to the Champions League field for the first time in over a decade.