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Soccer-USM Alger chase first ever Champions League title

ALGIERS, Oct 30 (Reuters) - USM Alger chase a first ever African Champions League title and a chance to confirm Algeria's rise to the top of the continent's game when they host TP Mazembe Englebert in the first leg of the final on Saturday. USMA will seek to emulate the achievement of compatriots Entente Setif last year in winning Africa's top club prize at a time when Algeria are the continent's top-ranked country, reached the second round of the World Cup in Brazil and are enjoying a massive renaissance after years in the doldrums. But USMA are up against an experienced foe in the club from the south of the Democratic Republic of Congo, who have won four previous titles and in the last six editions of the Champions League have got to the final four on four occasions, winning twice. The financial muscle of the copper-rich Katanga province, whose governor Moise Katumbi is also the club president, has seen Mazembe assemble a multi-national squad of players from various other African countries, coached to the final this year by Patrice Carteron, the former St Etienne defender. Mazembe won their Champions League group with a single defeat in six games, although not as impressively as USMA, who were victorious in their first five games to secure a semi-final berth long before their final group match, which they lost. Both Mazembe and USMA overcame opposition from Sudan in the semi-finals, as expected, to set up the two-legged final. The first leg, on Saturday, is at the Omar Hamadi Stadium in Algiers and the return is in Lubumbashi on Sunday, Nov. 8. "We have prepared for this meeting. Certainly our opponents are favourites to clinch the title because of their rich experience at this level of the competition, but my players hold no fears and will look to take their chances," said USMA coach Hamdi Miloud in the Algerian media this week. "But even with a decent lead in the first leg, it will not be easy in Lubumbashi." Mazembe have spent the last week in Marrakesh, Morocco preparing for the game. The winner represents Africa in December's Club World Cup in Japan. (Writing by Mark Gleeson in Cape Town; Editing by Neville Dalton; mark.gleeson@thomsonreuters.com; +27828257807; Reuters Messaging: Reuters Messaging: mark.gleeson.thomsonreuters.com@reuters.net)