Horoya plot end to Ahly winning streak in Africa

Horoya of Guinea, whose only African title came 40 years ago, will try Friday to end a four-match CAF Champions League winning streak by continental giants Al Ahly of Egypt. The clash in Conakry kicks off the quarter-finals first legs in the premier African club competition with Ahly hoping to lift the trophy a record-extending ninth time.

"Our objective was to reach the quarter-finals, but now we will try to go as far as possible," said 66-year-old France-born Horoya coach Victor Zvunka. "I have a squad of quality players, who are very attentive during training and work hard on matchdays.

Working with them is such a pleasure."    But the club who won the 1978 African Cup Winners Cup are underdogs over two legs against Ahly, whose winning run has not been matched by any other of the seven title contenders.

But they could struggle in Conakry against Ahly having won only two of their previous five CAF matches there this season. Ahly travelled to west Africa confident that they can win after going to Tunisia during the group phase and succeeding through a goal from leading scorer Walid Azaro, a Moroccan.

They should move closer to achieving that goal by eliminating Entente Setif of Algeria, twice African champions but the least impressive of the eight qualifiers. Wydad executed a 'win at home and draw away' policy to perfection in the group stage so it would not be surprising if the first leg produced a stalemate.

Primeiro v Mazembe

Having reached the quarter-finals for the first time, Primeiro Agosto of Angola are unlikely to go further given the pedigree of opponents TP Mazembe. Mazembe won the last two editions of the second-tier CAF Confederation Cup having lifted the 2015 Champions League -- a record of continental success unmatched even by Ahly recently. Both clubs will bank on DR Congo-born sharpshooters for goals with Jacques Bitumba scoring four for Primeiro in Africa this season and Ben Malango seven for Mazembe.