Ghana's Hearts of Oak face another embarrassing early elimination from the African Champions League when they play in the return leg of their first round tie at the weekend.
Hearts, who were winners of the Champions League in 2000 but have failed at the first round hurdle in the two tournaments since, take a slender 1-0 lead to neighbouring Togo for Sunday's match against AS Douanes.
The Ghanaian team, still featuring several key players who helped them to the continental championship three years ago, could fail for the third successive year to reach the lucrative last eight.
The clubs who do qualify share more than $3-million in television andmarketing revenue.
Also precariously placed are Ismailia, another of the six former champions in this year's field.
The Egyptian champions, whose only continental triumph came in 1969, will take a slim 1-0 lead to Zambia for the second leg of their match-up with Zanaco in Lusaka on Saturday.
"I think they are a good side but they are not invincible," said Zanaco coach Dan Kabwe of his team's Egyptian opponents.
"With the right approach, we can definitely beat them and turn the tables. If we do not make mistakes in Saturday's game I think we can beat them."
But many of the other fancied sides looked comfortably placed to progress to the second round next month.
Esperance of Tunisia and Canon Yaounde, both former winners, have 5-0 leads for their this weekend's away matches in Rwanda and Sudan respectively, while defending champions Zamalek are 3-0 up as they meet Nzoia Sugar of Kenya in Nairobi on Saturday.
The Cairo club will be without injured striker Hossam Hassan but are still expected to have too much ammunition for the Kenyans, who have injury concerns of their own.
Kenya internationals Bernard Mwalala and Hillary Echesa are out along with John Muraya, who collided with Mwalala in training on Wednesday. Echesa has a knee problem, officials said on Friday.
PERENNIAL BATTLE
Nigeria's Enyimba are also 3-0 up as they prepare to face Satellite of Guinea in the second leg of their tie in Conakry on Sunday.
Enyimba are the latest hopefuls in Nigeria's perennial battle to win the Champions League title, an honour that has eluded the giant west African country since they first entered the competition 35 years ago.
Matches are also scheduled in the African Cup Winners' Cup and the Confederation of African Football (CAF) Cup, which will be amalgamated into a single competition from next year.
Cup Winners' Cup holders Wydad Casablanca take a 2-0 lead to Mauritania to play ASC Nasr de Sebkha but former winners Africa Sports of the Ivory Coast are under threat in Togo.
Africa Sports were held to a surprise 1-1 home draw in the first leg of their tie against Dyto de Lome a fortnight ago and will effectively need an away win to reach the second round.
In the CAF Cup, holders JS Kabylie of Algeria have a bye into next month's second round.
African Champions League:
Al Ittihad (Libya) v Hassania Agadir (Morocco) (0-0)
Tripoli, Friday
Rayon Sport (Rwanda) v Esperance (Tunisia) (0-5)
Kigali, Saturday
US Mbila Nziami (Gabon) v FC St Eloi Lupopo (Democratic Republic of Congo) (1-0)
Libreville, Saturday
Zanaco (Zambia) v Ismailia (Egypt) (0-1)
Lusaka, Saturday
Nzoia Sugar (Kenya) v Zamalek (Egypt, holders) (0-3)
Nairobi, Saturday
Al Merreikh (Sudan) v Canon Yaounde (Cameroon) (0-5)
Omdurman, Saturday
St Louisienne (Reunion) v Highlanders (Zimbabwe) (1-3)
Saint Louis, Saturday
Wallidan (Gambia) v USM Alger (Algeria) (0-2)
Banjul, Sunday
AS Police (Congo) v Stade Malien (Mali) (0-1)
Brazzaville, Sunday
Satellite (Guinea) v Enyimba (Nigeria) (0-3)
Conakry, Sunday
Simba SC (Tanzania) v Santos (South Africa) (0-0)
Dar-es-Salaam, Sunday
SC Villa (Uganda) v AS Aviacao (Angola) (2-1)
Kampala, Sunday
AS Douanes (Togo) v Hearts of Oak (Ghana) (0-1)
Lome, Sunday
AS Niamey (Niger) v ASEC Abidjan (Ivory Coast) (0-3)
Niamey, Sunday
ASFA Yennenga (Burkina Faso) v Jeanne d'Arc (Senegal) (0-2)
Ouagadougou, Sunday
AS Port Louis 2000 (Mauritius) v Ferroviario Maputo (Mozambique) (0-2)
Rose-Hill, Sunday
African Cup Winners' Cup
Police FC (Uganda) v Baladeyet Al Mehalla (Egypt) (1-4)
Kampala, Friday
ASC Nasr de Sebkha (Mauritania) v Wydad Casablanca (Morocco, holders) (0-2)
Nouakchott, Friday
Al Hilal (Libya) v Widad Tlemcan (Algeria) (1-2)
Benghazi, Saturday
Hafia (Guinea) v Maghreb Fes (Morocco) (0-2)
Conakry, Saturday
Power Dynamos (Zambia) v Olympique Moka (Mauritius) (3-1)
Kitwe, Saturday
Dyto de Lome (Togo) v Africa Sports (Ivory Coast) (1-1)
Lome, Saturday
Anse Reunion (Seychelles) v Kenya Pipeline (Kenya) (1-2)
Victoria, Saturday
Club Olympique Bamako (Mali) v AS Douanes (Senegal) (2-0)
Bamako, Sunday
Akonangui (Equatorial Guinea) v Mount Cameroon (Cameroon) (0-2)
Bata, Sunday
APR FC (Rwanda) v US Kenya (Democratic Republic of Congo) (1-2)
Kigali, Sunday
Petro Atletico (Angola) v Etoile du Congo (Congo) (0-1)
Luanda, Sunday
JS Libreville (Gabon) v Julius Berger (Nigeria) (0-4)
Libreville, Sunday
Al Hilal (Sudan) v Insurance (Ethiopia) (2-0)
Omdurman, Sunday
Jomo Cosmos (South Africa) v Costa do Sol (Mozambique) (0-1)
Tembisa, Sunday
Confederation of African Football (CAF) Cup:
Al Nasr (Libya) v Coffee FC (Ethiopia) (0-0)
Benghazi, Friday
Kiyovu Sport (Rwanda) v Khartoum III (Sudan) (1-1)
Kigali, Friday
Maranatha de Fiokpo (Togo) v Cotonsport (Cameroon) (0-0)
Lome, Friday
Dominan'i Soavina Atsimondrano (Madagascar) v St Michel United (Seychelles) (0-0)
Antananarivo, Saturday
Djoliba (Mali) v FC 105 Libreville (Gabon) (0-3)
Bamako, Saturday
Express (Uganda) v Green Buffaloes (Zambia) (1-2)
Kampala, Saturday
Renacimiento (Equatorial Guinea) v Daring Club Motema Pembe (Democratic Republic of Congo) (1-4)
Malabo, Saturday
Club Africain (Tunisia) v Requins Atlantique (Benin) (0-1)
Tunis, Saturday
Jeunesse Club Abidjan (Ivory Coast) v CS La Mancha (Congo) (0-1)
Abidjan, Sunday
Raja Casablanca (Morocco) v Etoile Filante (Burkina Faso) (3-2)
Casablanca, Sunday
Black Rhinos (Zimbabwe) v Maxaquene (Mozambique) (1-1)
Harare, Sunday
Mamelodi Sundowns (South Africa) v Primeiro Agosto (Angola) (0-2)
Odi, Sunday
AS Sonacos (Senegal) v AS Kaloum (Guinea) (0-0)
Rufisque, Sunday
