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Nigeria’s sole
surviving representative in the CAF Champions League, Heartland FC left
for Egypt on Wednesday ahead of Sunday’s crucial tie against Al-Ahly in
Cairo. Heartland will be aiming for a win to keep their hopes of
advancing to the semi-finals of the competition alive.

Having secured
their first win of the group stage in their 2-1 win over another
Egyptian side, Ismaily, in Owerri, on August 30, Heartland know
anything less than a win against the six-time Champions League winners
will knock them out of the competition.

With Algeria’s JS
Kabylie already assured of a place in the semi-finals, with three wins
and a draw (ten points), the Naze Millionaires have to claim the second
spot to make the next round from Group B.

Free for all

The situation in
the group is dicey as a win for either Al-Ahly or Heartland on Sunday
will see the victors claiming second place, until the final round of
matches, to be held in a fortnight, when Heartland play hosts to JS
Kabylie while Ismaily take on Al-Ahly in an all Egyptian derby.

A win for Al-Ahly,
who are currently second with five points, and a loss for Ismaily on
Friday in their game against JS Kabylie, will guarantee Al-Ahly a spot
in the competition’s last four as Heartland, at present are in third
spot with four points.

An away win for the
Naze Millionaires and a loss for Ismaily, will see Heartland requiring
just a draw in their next match to secure second place. With these
scenarios at the back of their minds, Heartland’s preparations have
been in top gear ahead of Sunday’s game which the club’s assistant
coach, Emeka Ezeugo believes will not be a stroll in the park.

“We are going into
their own territory and they are not just going to sit down and watch
us win. They will try everything they can to keep us from winning. They
would be utilising every opportunity they get so we know we are in for
a tough game and therefore we should not relax,” said the former Super
Eagles midfielder.

With the team
travelling almost 4,000 kilometers from Nigeria to Egypt, jetlag and
other factors could come into play which is why the club’s management
opted to travel to Egypt on Wednesday, four days ahead of the match in
order to get the best performance out of the players.

“It is sure that travel would have its effects on them as they would
be moving to an entirely different environment. That is why they are
moving to Egypt (Wednesday) so as to get acclimatised with the new
environment.”