Durban City Handed Tricky Group-Stage Draw in CAF Confederation Cup

Durban City have been handed a tough test in the CAF Confederation Cup after the group-stage draw was made in Cairo on Wednesday. The KwaZulu-Natal club will play in Group B alongside Moroccan side AS FAR, Tanzania’s Azam FC and Al Ahly Tripoli from Libya.

The draw places the South African team in a group that features experienced continental clubs. AS FAR are regulars in African competitions and come from a strong Moroccan league. Al Ahly Tripoli carry a proud history in Libyan and African football, while Azam FC are one of Tanzania’s best-known sides. The group will demand consistency and strong performances away from home.

This is the first time Durban City have reached the group stage of the competition. They earned their place by winning every match in the qualifying rounds. The club first beat Rukinzo of Burundi 3-1 on aggregate. They then produced an impressive 6-1 aggregate victory over AS Port-Louis 2000 of Mauritius. In the second leg played in Mauritius, Gaston Sirino, Haashim Domingo and Ethan Brooks scored in a 3-0 win.

Coach Eric Tinkler and his players have made a strong start to their first continental campaign. The side entered the competition after winning the Nedbank Cup last season. They are now the only Premier Soccer League club still involved in the Confederation Cup after Kaizer Chiefs were eliminated by Zambia’s Red Arrows.

The group stage begins on the weekend of 27 to 29 November and runs through to late January. Each team will play six matches, three at home and three away. The top two teams in the group will advance to the quarter-finals in February. For Durban City, the campaign offers a chance to test themselves against established African clubs and build on their early success.

Supporters in Durban and across the country will be watching closely as the club takes on this new challenge. The fixtures will test the squad’s strength, organisation and ability to compete on the bigger African stage. City have shown they can deliver results in the qualifying rounds, and they now face the next step in their continental journey.

Source: https://x.com/KickOffMagazine/status/2115405618693406885