El Hodood's home record intimidating... but poor form should encourage GU

MQONDISI DUBE
Staff Writer | Friday July 30, 2010 00:00

 

El Hodood, like GU, have not lost at home in an African competition, but have hit a bad patch in their last two assignments.

They lost 1-0 to glamour club, Al Ahly, in the Egyptian Supercup on Sunday. That was the Alexandria-based side's second consecutive defeat after a similar loss to GU in the first leg in Gaborone.

El Hodood's coach, Tarek Al Ashri is quoted as saying their recent defeats are not a cause for concern and they would overturn the deficit against GU at their Haras El Hodood Stadium.

The club has a good record in the CAF Confederations Cup, having reached the group stages in two consecutive years. This year, El Hodood have been brutal at home with their biggest victory being a 5-0 thumping of Banks in the first round, which was followed by a 5-1 thrashing of Tanzania's Simba SC.

Their ruthlessness in front of goal at home should scare GU, who are, however, not bad travellers.

GU have lost only once away in Africa this year, a 4-1 defeat to Dynamos in the second round of the CAF Champions League. They held Orlando Pirates to a 2-2 draw in Port Elizabeth before beating Starlight Curepipe 3-0. But it would be difficult for Mayogoleele in Alexandria. As GU secretary, Kagiso Sebele said, not much can be read into El Hodood's first leg loss in Gaborone. The Egyptians are poor on the road without an away win in the competition. It is their home record that would see them start as favourites in a match that kicks-off at 7:30pm tomorrow.

Coach Mike Sithole will be handling GU for the first time in a continental assignment. He jumped ship after he won the league championship with the Reds and the club turned to Manfred Chabinga for the CAF Champions League preliminaries before appointing David Bright just before their away clash against Mauritian side, Starlight Curepipe.

Meanwhile, the Under-23 team and the Zebras are scheduled to play friendly matches against South Africa and Zimbabwe respectively. The Under-23 side will clash with their South African counterparts in a friendly match at the UB Stadium tomorrow. Kick-off is 3pm. The Zebras will engage Zimbabwe in a friendly match next Wednesday as part of preparations for the clash against Malawi in the 2012 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier in Blantyre on August 11.