Dar Es Salaam — HARARE is buzzing as six times Africa club champions Egyptians Al-Ahly and Tanzania envoys in the Confederation Cup Simba descend in the Zimbabwe capital for the CAF assignments this weekend.

The Msimbazi Street team will face host Lengthen in the first round first leg Confederation Cup clash on Friday.

Simba, who have just been crowned newly premier league champions left this morning with a delegation of 19 players and six officials and according to Club's Spokesperson Clifford Ndimbo, they touched down in Harare in the afternoon only to be treated with a cold reception.

"Team Manager Innocent Njovu told us they were not well received in Harare, and players spent five hours outside the Hotel and they had to leave for training without checking in," Ndimbo told the 'Daily News'.

He said the Tanzania Football Federation (TFF) official Msafiri Mgoyi, who accompanied the team to Harare, was working round the clock trying to contact their hosts.

While several Zimbabwe's media predicted for a 50-50 affair between Simba and their hosts, others described Simba as favourites to go past their home team basing on the experience and versatility.

The Zimbabweans still remember that Simba matched to the final of the CAF Cup in 1993, although they lost to Stella Abidjan of Ivory Coast.

With pressure mounting, Lengthens recently reshuffled its technical bench replacing former coach Mandla Masuku with current coach Norman Mapeza.

Masuku guided the team through to the first round at the expense of AS Adema of Madagascar whom they beat in the preliminary round.

Lengthens held on for dear life, as AS Adema threw everything at them, to force a goalless draw in Antananarivo about late last month and win 2-1 on aggregate.

The outgone coach firmly believed that Lengthens has the capacity to go very far in their maiden dance in the Confederation Cup and does not see Simba as a threat to end their mission prematurely.

But his successor has remained mute.

Players who made the trip are Juma Kaseja, Ali Mustafa, Haruna Shamte, Salum Kanoni, Juma Jabu, Nico Nyagawa, Kelvin Yondan, Mohamed Banka, Hilary Echesa, Ramadhan Chombo, Musa Hassan 'Mgosi', Mike Barasa, Ulimboka Mwakingwe, David Naftal, Uhuru Seleman, Jerry Santo, Mohamed Kijuso, Jabir Aziz, and Joseph Owino.

Officials making the trip include Chairman Hassan Dalali, Chairman of Players' Registration Committee Kassim Dewji, Coach Patrick Phiri, his assistant Amri Said, Team Manager Innocent Njovu, Doctor Cosmas Kapinga and member Mulamu Ngh'ambi.

Meanwhile, in a rare display of pure showiness, cash-rich Egyptian club Al Ahly will land in Harare with a 46-man delegation for their African Champions League tie against Gunners with the hosts footing the expenses of only 25 of them at a five-star hotel.

According to the Confederation of African Football (CAF) regulations, the hosts are required to meet the hotel expenses of 25 people, which includes 18 players and seven officials.

The Red Devils have demanded to be housed at the five-star Rainbow Towers Hotel because "other hotels in Harare do not meet their security standards".

The aristocrats of African football - Al Ahly - will touch down at the Harare International Airport aboard a South African Airways jet on Thursday afternoon.

The six-time CAF Champions League winners play a first-round clash against Gunners at Rufaro on Saturday.