Africa Cup of Nations star Sunday Mba will adjust his sights to the Confederation Cup this weekend as the contest for group places begins.

Mba's Nigerian club side Enugu Rangers host two-time winners CS Sfaxien of Tunisia on Sunday in the highlight of eight first leg play-off fixtures.

The 24-year-old midfielder scored the only goal of the Cup of Nations final to give the Super Eagles victory over against Burkina Faso in Soweto last February.

He also struck the winner in the shock quarter-final triumph over hot pre-tournament favourites Ivory Coast in South Africa.

The Golden Eaglets of Nigeria face Cote d’Ivoire in the final match of  CAF U-17 Morocco Telecom Championship to be played in Marrakech on Saturday.

Cote d’Ivore is the only team to have beaten Nigeria so far at the finals taking place in Morocco and the Nigerians have made it no secret that the defeat is still fresh in their minds and they are seeking redemption come Saturday.

The Baby Elephants for their part have said, they will not dwell on what happened in the Group B match (which they won 1-0) but will approach the new match with a mindset for victory.

Nigeria last won the title in 2007 while Cote d’Ivoire is assured of its best ever finish at the U-17 finals regardless of the final score. Up until the Ivorians beat host Morocco to reach the final the best they had achieved before was a third place in the 2005 edition.

There are five former African champions among the 16 hopefuls entering the final qualifying round this weekend for the CAF Confederation Cup.

And FAR Rabat and Wydad Casablanca of Morocco, ASEC Mimosas of Ivory Coast, Etoile Sahel of Tunisia and Ismaily of Egypt are favoured to win two-leg ties and reach play-offs against CAF Champions League last-16 losers.

CS Sfaxien of Tunisia have also experienced continental glory, being the only club to successfully defend the Confederation Cup, the second-tier African club competition loosely modelled on the Europa League.

Also in action will be US Bitam of Gabon, who scored a record 17 goals in a preliminary tie, and Liga Muculmana of Mozambique, whose 7-1 thrashing of Nigerian visitors Lobi Stars in Maputo was totally unexpected.

Egypt and Ghana will play in the final of the 2013 Orange CAF U-20 Championship on Saturday at Ahmed Zabana stadium in Oran, Algeria.

The Young Pharaohs go into the match as favourites after notching four straight wins including an opening 2-1 victory over same opponents, Ghana two weeks ago.

Ghana coach Sellas Tetteh was at pains dispelling the suggestions that the Black Satellites will be seeking revenge. 

“It worries me when l hear such talk about being motivated by revenge, and wanting to get back at Egypt for that loss in the first game. That match is in the past and our approach to the final is not based on a need to even things or any such intention. We are in a final and will play to win, regardless of what has happened before. “ said Tetteh

Nigeria and Mali will clash Friday in the match for third place at the ongoing 2013 Under-20 African Youth Championship (AYC) in Algeria.

The match will be a repeat of their clash at the group stage, which Mali won 1-0.

Nigeria, the tournament's defending champion who was beaten 2-0 by Egypt in the semi-final, is taking the match very seriously.

Head coach of Nigeria's Flying Eagles, John Obuh, said ahead of the match: “The only way to make up for the disappointment of surrendering the title is to finish with a win against Mali.”

The Malians are also not taking the match lightly.

About 10,000 fans are set to watch Bob Bradley's Egypt play Zimbabwe in a 2014 World Cup qualifier on Tuesday.

Egypt's Ministry of Interior have allowed a limited number of fans in to support the Pharaohs for the first time on home soil since the Port Said stadium disaster in February 2012 that left over 70 people dead.

There have also been violent clashes following the death sentences handed down to those fans found guilty of causing the fatalities at the game between Al Masry and Al Ahly.

The Egyptians also think the fans' presence can boost their chances of qualifying for the 2014 tournament in Brazil to reach the World Cup for the first time since 1990.

African champions Nigeria can take complete command of Group F with a win at home to Kenya on Saturday in the second round of qualifiers for the 2014 World Cup.

The Super Eagles lead the way in their group on four points from two games and are 33 places higher than Kenya in the Confederation of African Football rankings.

Nigeria also have home advantage and there is a three-point gap between the teams.

The Super Eagles beat Namibia at home and held Malawi away last June, while the Harambee Stars secured only one after a home draw against Malawi and a loss in Namibia.

With four spots at the FIFA U-20 World Cup Turkey 2013 at stake, there is plenty for the eight participants at the upcoming 2013 CAF U-20 Championship to dream about.

Beginning on Saturday and running for two weeks until 30 March, the 16 matches will be played in Oran and Ain Temouchent, with the 40,000-seater Stade Ahmed Zabana in Oran hosting the final.

Group A: Tough challenge for hosts
Algeria are making their first appearance at the competition since it changed from a two-legged knock-out event to a hosted tournament with a group stage.

Their coach, Frenchman Jean Marc Nobilo, has selected a mixture of foreign and locally-based players, with 13 of the final squad coming from the Algeria Football Association (FAF) academy.

Tunisian duo CS Sfaxien and Etoile du Sahel face daunting tests in this weekend’s first leg matches of the 1/16 th round of the 2103 Orange CAF Confederation Cup against West African opponents.
 
Sfaxien and Etoile, who both drew a bye at the prelims get their first feel of the second-tier continental club championship with home games against Gamtel and Onze Createurs of Gambia and Mali respectively.
 
The two clubs, both former winners of the competition find themselves in dicey situations against opponents ranked nowhere near the big guns of continental football.

Tricky away duels await holders Al Ahly and five former winners of the premier continental club tournament with the first leg matches of the 1/16th round of the 2013 Orange CAF Champions League due for this weekend.
 
Ahly, the most successful club in the history of the prestigious annual competition with seven triumphs begin their defence with a trip to Nairobi as guests of Kenyan champions, Tusker FC in an encounter that heavily tilts the direction of the visitors.
 
The Cairo giants, who drew a bye at the prelims travel to East Africa to face the Kenyan ‘Brewers’ with a depleted side following injuries to some key players.