SUNSHINE Stars Football Club of Akure is seeking a pound of flesh from their host, Esperance of Tunisia, in today's final group match of the 2012 CAF Champions League campaign.The Nigerian side left Lagos on Friday morning with a promise to do the unthinkable against the Tunisian giants, which won 2-0, when both teams met in the first leg in Ijebu-Ode two months ago.Both Sunshine Stars and Esperance have six points following the disqualification of Etoile du Sahel from the race by the Confederation of African Football (CAF).While Esperance is topping the group with a superior goal of plus three, Sunshine Stars has plus one to sit in the second place. CAF had disqualified Etoile Sportive du Sahel following the violence that erupted during their return leg match against Esperance Sportive De Tunis.Before departing Lagos on Friday, an official of Sunshine Stars, Mike Idoko, told The Guardian that their target was to turn the table against Esperance in front of their supporters to make up for the home defeat they suffered in the hands of the Tunisians at the beginning of the group game in Ijebu-Ode.'Don't forget that we lost our first home game to Esperance in Ijebu-Ode and the players are saying that this trip to Tunisia is an opportunity to pay Esperance back in their own coins. We have qualified for the semifinal, but it is important we win this match to top the group. Our target is 2-0 or more against Esperance,' Idoko stated.This is Sunshine Stars' debut in the CAF Champions League competition and also the first time a club has been expelled in the middle of the group stage.The negation of Sahel's matches hurts Esperance most since they had already taken six points from two matches against their fellow countrymen.In Group B, TP Mazembe and Al Ahly will battle it out at the Stade TP Mazembe also today in Lubumbashi, and if results go the right way, both could be among the last four by the end of the 90 minutes.The hosts have come back from a slow start to the group stage, beating Ahly's Cairo rivals, Zamalek, twice after taking just a single point from their first two contests.The Crows are three points behind the table-topping Egyptians, who are unbeaten on 10 and sure to advance if they avoid defeat in Sunday's game. The six-time champions, who last lifted the trophy in 2008, beat the 2009 and 2010 winners 2-1 in Cairo in July. Ahly will be without the suspended midfield pair of Sayed Mowad and Mohamed Barakat, while their opponents should be able to call on the previously injured Zambian duo of Nathan Sinkala and Stophira Sunzu.
Click here to read full news..
