Goal.com

With 16 teams vying for a place in the last eight, Goal.com ranks the five teams that have the best shot at the title this year

By Rami Ayari

Sixteen sides remain in the 2012 Caf Champions League but with only eight spots up for grabs for the quarter-finals, the competition for continental glory is heating up as we approach the business end.

Below, Goal.com looks at five of the favourites left in the tournament. Missing out are experienced clubs such as Etoile du Sahel, who were lucky not to be eliminated by APR in the previous round, as well as Nigeria’s Sunshine Stars who are performing poorly at the domestic level. But which clubs made the cut?

5. AL-HILAL

With nine straight qualifications since 2004, the Sudanese giants are truly a staple of the Caf Champions League. During that period Al-Hilal have made it to the semi-finals of the tournament on three occasions (2007, 2009, and 2011), the most recent of which was last year when they were ousted by eventual winners Esperance.

A look at the Omdurman side’s domestic results indicates that they will be a tough opponent for Algeria’s ASO Chlef in the round of 16. The Sudanese are unbeaten in the league and have won five straight matches, placing them in first place and four points ahead of rivals Al-Merreikh.

That stellar form has clearly been translated to the continental stage as well after they crushed Central African Republic side DFC 8eme Arrondissement 8-1 on aggregate to advance to the last 16.

4. AL AHLY

Well known and respected, the African Club of the Century barely needs an introduction as they have won the Caf Champions League a record six times and represented the African continent at the Club World Cup in admirable fashion. However, after years of dominating the tournament, the Red Devils have faltered slightly as their golden generation appears to be heading past their prime.

The last time they won the continental competition was in 2008 and their most recent finish was a group stage exit last year due to an inferior goal difference to Wydad Casablanca and a better points total by eventual champions Esperance. Despite this, the Cairo club remain capable of turning things around at any moment.

So long as Al Ahly can overcome their lack of match sharpness and competitiveness due to the cancellation of the Egyptian Premier League season, they can go toe-to-toe with any club in Africa. Their match against Stade Malien in the round of 16 will be an opportunity for them to show that they are ready despite domestic troubles. A good showing would be a special way to pay tribute to the 74 fans who tragically lost their lives in Port Said.

3. MAGHREB FES

The surprise winners of last year’s Caf Confederation Cup continue to make waves with coach Rachid Taoussi leading the way. It has been a meteoric rise for the black and yellow team from Fez who, at the domestic level, won the King’s Cup in 2010 and finished second in the Moroccan League last year.

After a long period of dormancy, Maghreb Fes are back on the continental scene and just recently added a Caf Super Cup to their trophy cabinet by beating Champions League winners Esperance earlier this year in Rades. If their Confederation Cup victory was not enough, the result against their Tunisian rivals truly signified that they are ready to compete with the big boys of Africa.

Featuring technically talented players who have since made their way into the Moroccan national team, the sky is the limit for Taoussi and his men, who keep adapting to new circumstances with unexpected ease. Their upcoming clash against Egypt’s Zamalek, a side who only just missed out on this list, will be a real test of their character.

2. TP MAZEMBE

After having been unceremoniously banned by Caf from last year’s Champions League for allegedly fielding an ineligible player in Janvier Besala Bokungu while they were defending their 2010 title, the 'Corbeaux' are back with a vengeance.

Fifa recently sided with them in their case against the African football body, reinvigorating the club and giving them a strong desire to set things right. That much is clear after they demolished Zambia’s Power Dynamos 6-0 at home in the previous round, winning the tie 7-1 on aggregate.

The result brought to mind their stunning (and some might say controversial) 6-0 display against current holders Esperance in 2010, a result that the ‘Blood and Gold' still struggle to forget. Mazembe have the benefit of coaching stability in Lamine N’Diaye and a history of recent success in the competition, as their back-to-back 2009 and 2010 titles will attest. With a stacked roster that contains many members from Zambia’s 2012 Africa Cup of Nations champions, Mazembe are a team many will be hoping to avoid. Sudan’s Al-Merreikh have the unenviable task of facing them in the next round.

1. ESPERANCE

Despite their impressive road to 2011 Champions League glory that coincided with domestic league and cup wins, it has been somewhat of a bumpy ride for the Beb Souika side since their recent continental success.

Things did not go quite to plan at the Club World Cup where the Tunisians finished in last place and failed to match Mazembe’s incredible runners-up finish in the previous edition. Furthermore, missing out on a dream semi-final against Barcelona despite dominating possession against Qatar’s Al-Sadd added insult to injury. Coach Nabil Maaloul left after the poor results in Japan and has since been replaced by former Wydad manager Michel Decastel.

The Swiss coach's successful time at CS Sfaxien has clearly served him well as Esperance are currently first in the domestic league standings, but some argue that much improvement is needed before they can match last season’s achievements. The main bright spot for the Tunisians is that their star player, Youssef Msakni, continues to build on an impressive 2012 Afcon campaign with the Carthage Eagles. With his eye for goal, creativity, and guile, Esperance remain a force to be reckoned with in Africa, especially since the rest of the roster is tactically ahead of most sides on the continent. Their next test is to overcome Zimbabwe’s Dynamos in the round of 16.

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