Accra, Sept 4, (GNA) - Accra Hearts of Oak Sporting Club has requested CAF to reschedule their first leg match of the CAF Confederations Cup against Coton Sports of Cameroon scheduled for Garoua on the 12 September, 2004 to 19th September, 2004.

The Club said the rescheduling of the match would minimise cost and if approved, it would enable it to stay in Cameroon for a week to play their next match against Sable de Batie on 25th September, 2004. The request was made in a letter routed through the Ghana Football Association (GFA) signed by Mr Ashford Tettey Oku, Administrative Manager of the Club copied to the GNA Sports on Saturday.

Hearts next two Confederations Cup matches have been fixed between two Cameroonian Clubs, Cotonsports and Sable de Batie in Garoua and Douala on 12th and 25th September, 2004 respectively.

The Release said since there is no doubt that CAF is aware of the precarious financial position of most Clubs in Africa and the usual huge debts associated with Club continental competitions, it will therefore not be out of place to make an exception to the rule when it comes to helping Clubs to minimise chronic losses.

A round trip to Cameroon would cost the Club 16,200 US dollars and the two trips will cost 32, 400 US dollars.

Meanwhile the Ghana Football Association has also written to CAF through the Secretary General for the rescheduling of the first leg match between Accra Hearts of Oaks against Coton Sport scheduled for Sunday, 12th September to Sunday 19th September.

It said the request when granted will enable Hearts reduce the cost of air fares by half since they will stay on to play their next match against Sable de Batie within a week.

The GFA said that gate proceeds for international matches do not cover the organisational expenses and that is the reason why Hearts is requesting for the re-scheduling of the first match against Cotonsports. The CAF Secretariat in a related development has acknowledged the receipt of the GFA's fax message for the request but have asked that the GFA should contact its Cameroonian counterpart as well as ART, the holder of television and publicity rights of the Confederations Cup for their approval for the rescheduling of the match.

Mrs Abla Hassan, Director of Competitions Division of CAF said if by Sunday, 5th September no mutual agreement is reached and received from the GFA at the CAF Secretariat, the date of the match initially fixed on the fixtures for the Confederations Cup will be maintained.