ORLANDO Pirates chairman Irvin Khoza will arrive in Cairo this morning on a two-pronged mission.
At 10am, Khoza will attend a meeting of the Caf interclub subcommittee on matters relating to improving soccer on the continent.
At 2pm, Khoza will be at the 2013 African Champions League group stages draw where his club is hoping to get a second golden star on its logo.
The Buccaneers qualified for the group stage of the premier competition in dramatic fashion by eliminating African giants TP Mazembe from the Democratic Republic of Congo 3-2 on aggregate a fortnight ago.
Bucs still remain the only southern African club to win the Champions League title after beating Ivory Coast's Asec Mimosas 1-0 in 1995.
"We hope to do well in the Champions League, with the hope that South Africa will be allocated two slots by CAF again, as was the case in the past," said Khoza.
Caf withdrew the two slots allocated to the South African league winners and runners-up, arguing that SA clubs did not even reach the group stages. South African teams often fall in the preliminary and first round.
Currently, only the SA league winners qualify to take part in the tournament, with the Nedbank Cup champions competing in the Caf Confederation Cup.
Pirates were the last team to come close to getting a Champions League podium finish, losing 2-1 to CS Sfaxien of Tunisia, who are guided by former Bucs coach Ruud Krol.
"We are ready for any of the teams that have qualified. You have to play and beat the best to be crowned the winner," Khoza said. "I'm proud of my players for a great job done in this tournament, they have been playing during the week and weekends since 2010.
"I will be in Egypt with my head high after we qualified by beating the 2010 Fifa World Club Championship finalists TP Mazembe."
North Africa, which has been monopolising Caf club competitions, will be represented by Egyptian clubs Al-Ahly and Zamalek, and Esperance of Tunisia. Coton Sport of Cameroon have also qualified along with AC Leopards of Congo, Sewe Sport of Ivory Coast and Angola's Recreativo Libolo.
Khoza wears two hats in Cairo
ORLANDO Pirates chairman Irvin Khoza will arrive in Cairo this morning on a two-pronged mission.
At 10am, Khoza will attend a meeting of the Caf interclub subcommittee on matters relating to improving soccer on the continent.
At 2pm, Khoza will be at the 2013 African Champions League group stages draw where his club is hoping to get a second golden star on its logo.
The Buccaneers qualified for the group stage of the premier competition in dramatic fashion by eliminating African giants TP Mazembe from the Democratic Republic of Congo 3-2 on aggregate a fortnight ago.
Bucs still remain the only southern African club to win the Champions League title after beating Ivory Coast's Asec Mimosas 1-0 in 1995.
"We hope to do well in the Champions League, with the hope that South Africa will be allocated two slots by CAF again, as was the case in the past," said Khoza.
Caf withdrew the two slots allocated to the South African league winners and runners-up, arguing that SA clubs did not even reach the group stages. South African teams often fall in the preliminary and first round.
Currently, only the SA league winners qualify to take part in the tournament, with the Nedbank Cup champions competing in the Caf Confederation Cup.
Pirates were the last team to come close to getting a Champions League podium finish, losing 2-1 to CS Sfaxien of Tunisia, who are guided by former Bucs coach Ruud Krol.
"We are ready for any of the teams that have qualified. You have to play and beat the best to be crowned the winner," Khoza said. "I'm proud of my players for a great job done in this tournament, they have been playing during the week and weekends since 2010.
"I will be in Egypt with my head high after we qualified by beating the 2010 Fifa World Club Championship finalists TP Mazembe."
North Africa, which has been monopolising Caf club competitions, will be represented by Egyptian clubs Al-Ahly and Zamalek, and Esperance of Tunisia. Coton Sport of Cameroon have also qualified along with AC Leopards of Congo, Sewe Sport of Ivory Coast and Angola's Recreativo Libolo.
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