Hundreds of acres of sugar cane fields surround the Mauritius International airport, and provide a splendid aerial view, as the Kaizer Chiefs entourage touches down at 2pm SA time, (4pm Mauritian time), on Thursday, 10 february 2005 for the 2nd leg of the CAF Champions League preliminary rounds clash with local champions AS Sporting, a game scheduled for 3:15pm (1:15 SA time) on Sunday, 13 February 2005, writes Mputumi Putco Mafani, club communications manager.

Chiefs carry a 2-goal lead from the first leg in Rustenburg a fort-night ago, with goals scored by the Zambian ‘double trouble’ of Collins Mbesuma and Songwe Chalwe. Mbesuma was the darling of a huge media contingency present at the airport on the arrival of the South African champions.

In a country with a population of just a little more than 1.2 million, mostly Hindu religion faithfuls, there is love and peace abound, the goodness of the natives of the island cannot be measured. The locals are hopeful that AS Sport Louis are capable of pulling a surprise result come Sunday afternoon and their faith on the local side is echoed by hotel staff, drivers and a handful of foreigners plying their trade in this hot and humid Island.

Port Louis’ buildings evoke a combination of both the traditional Mauritian-style dwellings and British colonial elegance set into lush and tropical surroundings. It is an extra-ordinary sight undoubtedly attracting the country’s most sought after business drawcard, i.e. tourism. Other island inhabitants and business people make their living from the second largest industry, the textile followed by the sugar cane fields and plantations. Most football lovers are workers and labourers at these avenues and are probably negotiating their way off the workplace come Sunday.

There is talk that the recent visit by the South African Football Association president Molefi Oliphant in which matters of bilateral co-operation between the two football federations were resolved, has sparked renewed enthusiasm and passion for the game.

The last rays of the setting sun shimmer across the lagoon and a salty westerly sea breeze mingles cheerfully with the odours of divine flowers and as sea birds shave the surface of the lagoon in search of their late afternoon feed, the Kaizer Chiefs players retire into their rooms to take a rest as the first training session will be held on Friday morning at 09H00. The sun sets peacefully giving charm to our neighbourhood here, as I also take a bow from the hotel’s business center.

Amakhosi are at the island minus Thabo Mooki who is sick, Shoe Mosheou who has just started training a couple of days ago following his suspension and his fitness levels suspect, according to coach Ted Dumitru. Songwe Chalwe is injured but the most fancied right winger Arthur Zwane has made the trip following his return from injury at the expense of Junior Khanye who is also left behind. All other regular players have made the trip and Dumitru will be selecting a combination of attack and defence minded team as he cautiously makes the squad for Sunday. The game could be broadcast live on the local Mauritian Broadcasting Corporation (MBC) channel and the SABC may secure footage for highlights.