Preliminary round

Today

AS Kigali vs. Academie Tchite 3:30pm

Leopards [Ken] vs. Defence [Eth]

Don Bosco [DRC] vs. Victoria [Uga]

THE African football calendar takes a new dimension as focus shifts  to continental club action following a successful Orange African Nations Championship (Chan) in South Africa last month.

 This year’s continental club action kicks off this  weekend with the preliminary round of matches of both the Orange Caf Champions League and the Orange Caf Confederation Cup.

 For the Caf Confederation Cup, Rwanda’s AS Kigali will be making a second continental appearance since 2001 against Burundian side Academie Tchite in the first leg at Stade de Kigali today. A total of 42 clubs will feature in the preliminary rounds.

Rwanda Peace Cup winner AS Kigali will be rewarded with a first round clash against Alhly Shandy of Sudan if they beat Academie Tchite over the two legs.

However, they have a big task at hand, which they have to negotiate without influential midfielder Muhammed Mushimiyimana, who picked an injury last week.

 "Mushimiyimana will be hugely missed but at least (striker) Bodo Ndikumana and (midfielder) Hamidou Ndayisaba have recovered  to full fitness,” head coach Andre Gasambungo told Saturday Sport, before adding: "Academie Tchite are a tricky side because they are relatively new on the scene and I have not been able to see them in action, but I am optimistic of a positive home performance.”

Casa noted, "We want to win the home game with a comfortable margin, which we can take into the return leg in Bujumbura. We will play an offensive game at home, we don’t need to defend a lot but at the same time we must not concede  an away goal, which could prove costly in the return leg.”

Academie Tchite arrived in Kigali on Thursday and their head coach Jimmy Ndizeye, said they are here for a win.

 "We are here for a win. I trust my boys to handle whatever AS Kigali will throw at us and hope we get a good result in Kigali before finishing the job in Bujumbura,” he said.