Football
Ed Dove, Special to ESPN 6y

Misr El-Maqassa defiant ahead of CAF Champions League debut

Misr El-Maqassa are set to make their CAF Champions League debut this weekend, but while the Egyptian side's preparations have been less than ideal, they're optimistic that they can advance past Senegal's Generation Foot.

Maqassa enjoyed a remarkable campaign in the Egyptian Premier League last term when they finished 11 points ahead of Cairene giants SC Zamalek to take second place and secure Champions League qualification alongside Al-Ahly.

The Fayoum-based club were only promoted to the Egyptian top tier in 2010, and had finished tenth - showing no signs of troubling the Champions League places - during the 2015-16 season.

Their success was forged on the back of an effective frontline, with Ahmed El Sheikh, John Antwi and Nana Poku terrorising the division's backlines.

They may have some continental pedigree - having featured in the Confederation Cup in 2016 - but a spot in the Champions League represents uncharted territory for Misr.

However, preparations for their maiden foray onto Africa's top table have been less than ideal, not least due to a series of key departures from last season's fine campaign.

Ghanaian frontman Poku, formerly of Berekum Chelsea, was one of two players - the other being Emad Fathy - to have been poached by Zamalek, while influential wideman Hussein El Shahat joined the growing North African exodus to the Middle East despite being linked to Ahly.

Ragab Nabil also joined Smouha after a year with Misr, although defensive reinforcement was introduced in the form of Sherif Hazem, and attacking midfielder Arouna Sene joined from Senegalese football as one of four foreign players in the squad.

The outstanding El Sheikh also returned to Ahly at the end of his loan spell, before being sent out again to Saudi side Ettifaq FC. A testing domestic campaign, where they've struggled to build on last season's progress, has also dampened expectations ahead of their maiden CAF CL sojourn.

Misr head to Senegal down in 13th, having taken just 25 points from 22 fixtures so far.

Indeed, they're only five points above the relegation zone, and having won just once in their last 11 matches, are hurtling towards the dropzone at high velocity.

However, coach Emad Suleiman is optimistic that they can put their domestic woes behind them and answer their critics with progress against Generation Foot.

"I have told my players to forget about the domestic competition and focus on the continental mission ahead," Suleiman told CAF Online. "Winning and qualifying to the next round will be a great reply to our critics this season.

"I told my players they are better than their opponents," he added. "Our target is to get a positive result away that makes the return leg a much easier mission."

Despite his optimism, Suleiman will have to do without defensive duo Mohamed Touny and Ahmed Samy, while Ghanaian Antwi, who found the net in the 2-1 defeat by Ahly last month, is absent due to injury.

The first leg will be hosted by Senegalese champions Generation Foot in Dakar on Saturday, before the duo clash again at the Cairo International Stadium on February 21.

Should they beat Generation Foot, Maqassa will square off against either Horoya of Guinea or AS FAN of Niger in the next round.

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