CAF club draw throws up thrillers for the group stage

by Graeme Jackson

Monday Oct 07, 2024. 13:36

The draw for the group stages of the 2024-25 CAF Champions League and CAF Confederation Cup was held in Cairo on Monday afternoon, throwing up some potential thrillers for African football fans to look forward to in the coming months.

Reigning Champions League kings Al Ahly were drawn in Group C, where they will face South Africa’s Orlando Pirates in a revival of their 2013 final clash, as well as CR Belouizdad (Algeria) and Stade Abidjan (Ivory Coast).

Tunisian giants Esperance – last season’s runners-up – find themselves in Group D with Pyramids FC (Egypt), Sagrada Esperanca (Angola) and Djoliba AC (Mali).

Group A features DR Congo power houses TP Mazembe alongside Young Africans (Tanzania), Al Hilal (Sudan) and MC Alger (Algeria), while South Africa’s Mamelodi Sundowns are the seeded team in Group B, where they will face the Moroccan duo of Raja Casablanca and ASFAR, as well as AS Maniema Union (DR Congo).

In the Confederation Cup, defending champions Zamalek will battle fellow Egyptian side Al Masry in Group D, as well as Nigerian giants Enyimba and Black Bulls of Mozambique.

In Group A, Tanzanian giants Simba SC will face CS Sfaxien (Tunisia), CS Constantine (Algeria) and Bravos do Maquis (Angola), while Group B features perennial Confed Cup contenders RS Berkane (Morocco) coming up against Stade Malien (Mali), Stellenbosch FC (South Africa) and CS Luanda Sul (Angola).

Finally, Group C features USM Alger (Algeria) as the seeded team amongst ASEC Mimosas (Ivory Coast), ASC Jaraaf (Senegal) and Orapa United (Botswana).

The first matchday of the group stages in the Champions League and Confederation Cup is scheduled to be played on the midweek of November 26 to 28. The group stage will run until mid-January 2025, with the knockout stages beginning in March.

CAF Confederation Cup draw

Group A: Simba SC (Tanzania); CS Sfaxien (Tunisia); CS Constantine (Algeria); Bravos do Maquis (Angola)

Group B: RS Berkane (Morocco); Stade Malien (Mali); Stellenbosch FC (South Africa); CS Luanda Sul (Angola)

Group C: USM Alger (Algeria); ASEC Mimosas (Ivory Coast); ASC Jaraaf (Senegal); Orapa United (Botswana)

Group D: Zamalek (Egypt); Al Masry SC (Egypt); Enyimba FC (Nigeria); Black Bulls (Mozambique)

CAF Champions League draw

Group A: TP Mazembe (DR Congo); Young Africans (Tanzania); Al Hilal (Sudan); MC Alger (Algeria)

Group B: Mamelodi Sundowns (South Africa); Raja Casablanca (Morocco); ASFAR (Morocco); AS Maniema Union (DR Congo)

Group C: Al Ahly (Egypt); CR Belouizdad (Algeria); Orlando Pirates (South Africa); Stade Abidjan (Ivory Coast)

Group D: Esperance de Tunis (Tunisia); Pyramids FC (Egypt); Sagrada Esperanca (Angola); Djoliba AC (Mali)