By George Osei
It would be a major surprise if Berekum Chelsea fails to advance to the third round of the CAF Champions league on Sunday following their impressive display when they hosted and beat Moroccan giants Raja of Casablanca in Ghana.
The Ghanaian champions are in Morocco?s second city to honour the return fixture holding a five goal lead from the first leg played at the Golden City Park at Berekum, and are the overwhelming favourites to make it to the next round of the competition.
Most connoisseurs of the game have already written off the chances of the Moroccans in this game despite holding a high pedigree in African football as former winners of this competition.
Overturning a 0 ? 5 deficit is a very big ask even on home soil, and it would take a fall of some gargantuan proportions on the part of the Ghanaians for Raja to scale through this tie and make it to the next round of the competition.
It looks game, set and match for Berekum Chelsea who are Ghana?s sole representative in African club competition this year following the last minute withdrawal of Nania FC from the Confederations Cup.
A lot therefore is expected of them and they started the campaign on a good note following their 5 ? 0 aggregate win over Liberian Champions LISCR FC in the first round. Berekum Chelsea followed that up with that comprehensive result over Raja Casablanca in Ghana two Sunday?s ago, and look all set to qualify to the third round of the competition.
That would be one step away from making it to the group phase of the competition where the best eight club sides in Africa, compete for the right to be called champions of the continent and earn the right to participate in the FIFA World Club championship staged every year.
The stage is set for Chelsea of Ghana to advance to the next stage of this year?s African Champions League at the expense of Raja of Morocco and with it, represent the interests of Ghanaians who have been clamoring for another opportunity to see a club from the country compete with the very beat on the continent.
They are likely to face Coton Sport Garoua of Cameroon in the next round with the winner of that tie, advancing to the group phase of the competition.
The Cameroonians lost 1 ? 2 to Dolphins of Nigeria in their 2nd round first leg tie in Port Harcourt, and would fancy their chances overturning the result on home soil this weekend to make it to the third round of the competition.
Ghana needs a good performance by Chelsea at this level to enhance their chances of winning back the two places they lost in both the CAF Champions League and the Confederations Cup following the poor display of their clubs in continental competitions over the last five years.
It is therefore not surprising that they are receiving great support from the Ghana FA backed by the clubs and this was on high display when Raja visited Berekum for the first leg as they were totally out played and out classed in all aspects of the game.
It is with this support that they go into battle in Morocco on Sunday, knowing the whole nation is behind them in their attempt to win back some of the lost glory that Ghanaian clubs used to endure in years gone by.
Ghana has produced two winners in this competition in the past with Asante Kotoko winning the old African Clubs Championships (now Champions League) in 1970/71 and 1983 before Hearts of Oak won the competition in 2000 and the Confederation Cup in 2004/05.
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