By Victor Kanayo
The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has rolled out both Champions League and Confederation Cup fixtures for group stage hostilities in the ongoing 2023/24 season.
After the draws held in Johannesburg, South Africa, saw 16 football clubs divided into four groups of four to determine the group stages of the competition, with the first round of fixtures scheduled for 24 to 25 November, 2023.
Champions League Roll Call
In the fixtures Winners of the 2016 edition, Mamelodi Sundowns headline Group A, which consists of Egypt’s Pyramids FC, 2015 competition winners TP Mazembe as well as FC Nouadhibou of Mauritania.
Last season’s finalists, Wydad Casablanca are in Group B and are joined by Tanzania’s Simba SC, Asec Mimosas of Cote d’Ivoire as well as Botswana’s Jwaneng Galaxy, who sent shockwaves across the continent in dispatching big clubs enroute to the group stages.
Esperance of Tunisia have been drawn in a tricky Group C which consists of Angola’s Atletico Petroleos, the unpredictable Al Hilal of Sudan as well as their country-rivals, ES Sahel.
Reigning champions, Al Ahly SC will headline Group D that consists of Algeria’s CR Belouizdad for a mouth-watering North-African derby, Tanzania’s Young Africans who finished second in the CAF Confederation Cup as well as Ghana’s Medeama who will be looking at causing major upsets in the group.
Rivers In Confederation Cup
In the Confederation Cup pairings, Nigeria’s remaining representative in the CAF inter Club competitions, Rivers United, were drawn against Tunisian side Club Africain in the group stage of the CAF Confederation Cup.
Rivers United who defeated Burkina Faso side Etoile Filante to reach this stage of the competition will also face Ghanaian side Dreams FC and APC Lobito of Angola in Group C.
The Nigerian side that reached the quarter final stage of the competition last season were placed in Pot A ahead of Friday’s draw, which means they avoided meetings with top guns including defending champions USM Alger of Algeria and former champions Zamalek of Egypt and RS Berkane of Morocco.
They were also drawn in the same group with Club Africain in the same competition six years ago with the Tunisian side beating United home and away which culminated in the Nigerians finishing bottom of their group.
Full CAF Champions League Group Stage Draw
Group A: Mamelodi Sundowns (South Africa), Pyramids FC (Egypt), TP Mazembe (DR Congo), FC Nouadhibou (Mauritania)
Group B: Wydad AC (Morocco), Simba SC (Tanzania), Asec Mimosas (Cote d’Ivoire), Jwaneng Galaxy (Botswana)
Group C: Esperance (Tunisia), Atletico Petroleos (Angola), Al Hilal (Sudan), Etoile du Sahel (Tunisia)
Group D: Al Ahly (Egypt), CR Belouizdad (Algeria), Young Africans (Tanzania), Medeama (Ghana)
Full CAF Confederation Cup Group Stage Draw
Group A – USMA (ALG), Future FC (EGY), Supersport United (RSA), Al Hilal Benghazi (LBY)
Group B – Zamalek (EGY), Sagrada Esperança (ANG), Academie SOAR, Abu Salim (LBY)
Group C – Rivers United (NGR), Club Africain (TUN), Dreams FC (GHA) APC Lobito (ANG)
Group D – RS Berkane (MAR), Diables Noirs (CGO), Stade Malien (MLI), Sekukhune United (RSA)
