The stage is set for a thrilling new season of the TotalEnergies CAF Champions League as contenders aiming to succeed Al Ahly as title holders discovered their preliminary round opponents on Thursday.
The draw, held at the CAF headquarters in Cairo, unveiled a series of high-stakes matches that promise to set the tone for the competition.
A total of 54 matches are scheduled to be played, with some exciting clashes already generating buzz. Among these, the encounter between the ambitious Arta Solar of Djibouti and Somalia’s Dekadaha FC is expected to draw significant attention.
In another anticipated matchup, Young Africans of Tanzania will face off against Burundi’s Vital’o FC, while FC Nouadhibou is set to manage a challenging away match against Guinea’s Milo FC.
Several top teams, including Al Ahly, Espérance de Tunis, Mamelodi Sundowns, Atlético Petroleos, Young Africans, and TP Mazembe, have been exempted from the preliminary round, ensuring their direct entry into the subsequent stages.
The winner of the duel between El Merreikh and Gor Mahia FC will face reigning champions Al Ahly in the next round.
Espérance of Tunisia will meet the winner of the clash between Arta Solar and Dekadaha FC, while the victor in the Swallows versus Fer Da Beira encounter will clash with Mamelodi Sundowns.
Similarly, the winner of the match between Ngezi Platinum and AS Maniema will compete against Atlético Petroleos. TP Mazembe, another exempted team, will face the winner of the match between Nyasa Big Bullets and Red Arrows.
The second round of the preliminary phases is scheduled for September 13-15 for the first leg matches and September 20-22 for the return legs, setting up a month of intense competition.
Preliminary Round First Leg Matches of the Champions League:
- El Merreikh (South Sudan) vs. Gor Mahia (Kenya)
- Arta Solar (Djibouti) vs. Dekadaha (Somalia)
- SC Villa Jogoo (Uganda) vs. Commercial Bank (Ethiopia)
- Vital’O FC (Burundi) vs. Young Africans (Tanzania)
- Azam FC (Tanzania) vs. APR FC (Rwanda)
- JKU SC (Tanzania) vs. Pyramids (Egypt)
- M. Swallows (Eswatini) vs. Fer Da Beira (Mozambique)
- Ngezi Platinum (Zimbabwe) vs. AS Maniema (DR Congo)
- Nyasa Big Bullets (Malawi) vs. Red Arrows FC (Zambia)
- African Stars (Namibia) vs. Jwaneng Galaxy (Botswana)
- Disciples FC (Madagascar) vs. Orlando Pirates (South Africa)
- US Zilimadjou (Comoros) vs. Rangers FC (Nigeria)
- St Louis (Seychelles) vs. GDSE (Angola)
- AS Douanes (Burkina Faso) vs. Coton Bénin (Benin)
- AS Leopards (Congo) vs. CR Belouizdad (Algeria)
- Victoria UTD (Cameroon) vs. FC Samartex (Ghana)
- ASGNN (Niger) vs. Raja Casablanca (Morocco)
- AS PSI (Chad) vs. US Monastir (Tunisia)
- Watanga FC (Liberia) vs. MC Alger (Algeria)
- Red Star (Central African Republic) vs. Djoliba de Bamako (Mali)
- CD Mongomo (Equatorial Guinea) vs. Asko de Kara (Togo)
- Stade d’Abidjan (Côte d’Ivoire) vs. Teungueth FC (Senegal)
- Milo FC (Guinea) vs. FC Nouadhibou (Mauritania)
- Bo Rangers (Sierra Leone) vs. San Pedro (Côte d’Ivoire)
- Libyan Club 2 vs. Al Hilal (Sudan)
- Libyan Club 1 vs. El Merreikh (Sudan)
- Remo Stars (Nigeria) vs. AS Far (Morocco)
