Paske concedes tough road in Champions league

APR’s Dutch coach Erik Paske has admitted that his guns are in for a difficult ride in next year’s African Champions league. The ten-time national league champions are scheduled to play Angolan club Recreativo du Libolo in the preliminary round before taking on reigning African champions TP Mazembe of the Democratic Republic of Congo in the next stage. “We have two very tough games in the Champions League. Recreativo de Libolo and TP Mazembe are two big sides on the continent,” he conceded. “It is not going to be easy even though we know that we have the quality to take something out of both games,” he added. Paske has been looking to better Rene Feller’s performances in last year’s Confederations Cup were the military side was knocked out in the second round by a 2-0 goal aggregate at the hands of Haras El Hoduod of Egypt. In the preliminary round, the military side battered a lackluster Kenyan side Gor Mahia 7-0 on goal aggregates. APR start their campaign by hosting Recreativo de Libolo on the weekend of February 12-14 before traveling to Luanda for the return leg on the weekend of February 25-28, 2010. The winner between Recreativo de Libolo and APR will then face continental champions TP Mazembe who got a bye into the 1/16th round. Mazembe were crowned African champions after edging past Nigerian side, Heartland FC on the away goal rule after a 2-2 tie from both legs. Ends

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Paske concedes tough road in Champions league