By Jacob Ajom
Nigeria’s surviving CAF Champions League contenders, Heartland of Owerri are definitely walking a tight rope in the 2010 competition as they lay third on the log behind JS Kabyle of Algeria and six time winners, Al Ahly of Egypt.

With this precarious position, today’s encounter against Al Ahly in Cairo has a lot at stake as the tie will decide who joins the run-away leaders, JS Kabyle of Algeria to the semi final from group B.

Pennultimate Sunday, the Owerri outfit rekindled hope in their fans for a possible crack at the semi final of Africa’s most glamourous club championship with a hard-fought 2-1 victory over Ismaili of Egypt.

That victory catapulted them to the third position, displacing their other Egyptian rivals, Ismaili who were ahead with a point advantage.

Coach Samson Siasia admitted they started badly in the group stage which had made their job more tasking. But the Olympic silver-winning coach was quick to add that the victory over Ismaili would be the motivation for his boys.

The Bayelsa state born gaffer noted that his attack which was the sore point in his team was beginning to adapt to his strategies. He believes Heartland players would confront their hosts with all they have in this make or mar battle.

Siasia, a former Nigeria striker said, “It’s going to be an explosive game, no doubt, because my players now know they need that game too if they want to progress from the group.”

If anything, Ahly will be entering their home arena with bowed tails as they were held to a draw by group leaders, JS Kabyle in their last outing. “This only proved that the Egyptians who contribute more than seven players to the Egyptian national team are not invincible,” spokesman of Heartland, Cajetan Nkwopara said in a telephone chat with Sunday Sports Vanguard.

Nwaopara said Heartland would apply a new strategy known as Operation Knock Them Down to overcome their more accomplished Egyptian opponents. “We are determined to knock them out of the second position and go ahead to qualify for the semi final,” Nkwopara said while explaining the stratey.

But the Egyptians who lost out in the same competition to Kano Pillars last year will not be an easy prey. They have won the competition six times and are CAF’s club of the century.

A second straight absence in the final of the champions league would definitely spell doom for a side that does not know how to lose important games.