Tough tasks for Kotoko and Hearts in CAF Cup

African Confederation Cup co-favourites Asante Kotoko and Hearts of Oak of Ghana face thorough examinations of their capabilities this weekend.

Former African champions Kotoko are away to Al-Hilal of Sudan in Group A Saturday while Hearts of Oak face an even tougher task at Cotonsport Garoua of Cameroon the following afternoon in Group B. Enugu Rangers of Nigeria entertain Petro Atletico of Angola in the other Group A fixture while Santos of South Africa host Sable Batie of Cameroon in a Group B battle of underdogs.

The pool phase of a competition modelled on the European UEFA Cup began last month with Kotoko and Petro winning 3-1 against Enugu and Hilal respectively, Hearts edging Santos 1-0 and the clash of Batie and Cotonsport ending goalless. Hilal reached the last eight by eliminating another Ghanaian challenger, Liberty Professionals, on penalties after each club won 1-0 at home so Kotoko will not lack knowledge of their rivals.

The Sudanese have had a mixed year in Africa, surprising Saint George of Ethiopia and shocking Al-Ahly of Egypt before bowing tamely to SuperSport United of South Africa in the Champions League. Given a ?back door? entry to the Confederation Cup along with seven other Champions League second-round losers, they pipped Professionals, who lack the international experience of Kotoko.

Asante also began in the Champions League, but lost a penalty shootout at home to USMA of Algeria and must now strive to become the first winners of a competition that replaced the African Cup Winners Cup and CAF Cup. Experienced international campaigners Petro have proved good travellers, winning in Equatorial Guinea and Morocco and drawing in Zimbabwe and Nigeria, and boast a proven marksman in Flavio da Silva.

Enugu are favoured, however, given the need for maximum points to stay in contention for first place and a ticket to the two-leg final during November and December. Nigerian hopes will rest largely on Ugochukwu Okeke, Okechukwu Enyiaku and Okechukwu Odita, whose goals fashioned convincing victories over Al-Nasr of Libya and APR of Rwanda in previous rounds.

Cotonsport Garoua, another club eliminated in the final qualifying round for the Champions League, are a match for any club in their north-west Cameroon liar with star-studded Esperance of Tunisia among the victims this year. Gustave Bebbe, Soussia Hamadou and Nassourou Moussa scored the goals that ended the charge of Zambian army club Green Buffaloes in a Confederation Cup playoff.

But Hearts proved defensively formidable at the same stage, forcing a 0-0 draw at Douanes of Senegal although they subsequently lost goalkeeper Sammy Adjei to Club Africain of Tunisia. Santos, a Cape Town club who show a greater appetite for Africa than many richer and more popular South African sides, should prove too strong for Batie despite the sale of midfielder Tyren Arendse to Orlando Pirates.

Sable lost 4-2 at Pirates in the playoff phase, but received a bye when their opponents were unable to secure a flight to Cameroon for the replay of a return match dogged by bad weather.