The only previous appearance by the Soweto giants was 11 years ago when they lost on the away-goal rule in the second round to eventual winners Zamalek of Egypt.

Chiefs are among 52 entrants for the 2005 edition of the $3.5

million competition for which the draw for the first, second

and third rounds will be made on Thursday.

There are 10 Champions League winners on the list and it could

swell to 11 if Etoile Sahel of Tunisia successfully defend a 2-1

lead away to holders Enyimba of Nigeria on Sunday in the second leg of

the 2004 final.

Other former champions are Zamalek and Al-Ahly of Egypt, Asante

Kotoko and Hearts of Oak of Ghana, Kabylie of Algeria, Mazembe of

the Democratic Republic of Congo, ASEC of Ivory Coast, Raja

Casablanca of Morocco and Esperance of Tunisia.

Chiefs will attempt to emulate arch domestic rivals Orlando

Pirates, shock winners of the 1995 Champions League with a 1-0

triumph over ASEC in Ivory Coast after being held 2-2 at home.

Like most South African clubs, Chiefs displayed lukewarm

interest in the premier African club competition until the

introduction of prize money seven years ago.

Their squad includes Malawi defender Patrick Mabedi, Zimbabwe

midfielder Tinashe Nengomasha and young Zambia striker Collins

Mbesuma, who could use the Champions League to raise an already

high profile.

Studious Romanian Ted Dumitru brings a wealth of international

experience to his role as coach and the back-up team includes

former Chiefs stars Doctor Khumalo and Ace Khuse.

Surprise Nigerian league and cup winners Dolphin are relishing

the chance to make an impact at international level after ending

the dominance of Enyimba, who finished second in a bid for a fourth

consecutive national title.

"This is one of the biggest success stories in Nigerian football

history and I'm happy to be part of it. Now we need to show the

rest of Africa that our time has come," coach Musa Abdullahi said

during a recent radio interview.

Unceremoniously ditched as coach of the national 2004 Olympic

team after a qualifying loss in Senegal, Abdullahi will be on a

mission to prove he can compete successfully at international

level.

The Confederation Cup, open to national cup winners, and

third-placed league teams from select countries, has attracted 40

entries, including former African champions Union Douala of

Cameroon and Ismailia of Egypt.

But the popularity of the Arab Champions League with a $2 million first prize compared to $362 500 for the

Confederation Cup, has affected the field with Algeria, Morocco and Tunisia not selecting their first choices.

First round matches in both competitions are scheduled for the

weekends of January 28-30 and February 11-13 with the second round

during March and the third round in April.