South Africa’s three representatives in the CAF Interclub Competitions will discover their group-stage opponents on Monday afternoon when the draw for both the Champions League and Confederation Cup takes place at the SuperSport studios.
There is the potential of Mamelodi Sundowns coming up against their former coach Rulani Mokwena, while Stellenbosch FC and Kaizer Chiefs could be drawn into the same Confederation Cup group.
With Orlando Pirates eliminated in the preliminary round by St Elois Lupopo, Mamelodi Sundowns are left to carry the South African flag in the Champions League alone. The 2016 champions will be looking to go one better than last season, when they were beaten finalists. Intriguingly, Sundowns could find themselves in the same group as their conquerors and current title holders, Pyramids FC of Egypt.
Miguel Cardoso and his team are top seeds, alongside record champions Al Ahly, his former club Esperance, and Champions League newcomers RS Berkane.
Pot B includes Pyramids, Al Hilal, and Tanzania’s representatives Young Africans (Yanga) and SC Simba. Third seeds are Angola’s Petro Atletico, FAR Rabat of Morocco, Mokwena’s MC Alger, and Nigeria’s Rivers United. Algeria’s JS Kabylie, Stade Malien of Mali, Lupopo, and Zambia’s Power Dynamos make up the fourth pot.
Sundowns will be hoping that former continental stars Christopher Katongo and Alex Song, acting as draw assistants, place them in a favourable group. Avoiding Pyramids would be a good start. FAR Rabat proved a tough opponent last season, with both matches ending in stalemates, and Sundowns would likely prefer to avoid Mokwena’s MC Alger and JS Kabylie from the final pot.
A favourable group could see Sundowns face either Yanga or Simba from Pot B, Petro Atletico, and Power Dynamos — teams without the pedigree to halt the South Africans’ progress. Such a draw would also spare them long trips to North Africa. A “group of death,” however, could see them square off against Pyramids, FAR Rabat, and JS Kabylie. Sundowns fans may quietly hope for a group with MC Alger, guaranteeing a high-stakes reunion with Mokwena.
In the CAF Confederation Cup, Chiefs and Stellenbosch could be drawn together — a setup both teams would welcome, as it would reduce travel.
However, all sides must expect at least one trip to North Africa, as the four top seeds are based there: Zamalek, Wydad Casablanca, CR Belouizdad, and USM Alger. Stellenbosch, in the second pot with Al Masry, Djoliba, and Maniema Union, would prefer to avoid Zamalek given last season’s painful exit, while Chiefs would ideally face SC Otoho d’Oyo, Nairobi United, or one of the Algerian teams.
The draws will be broadcast live on SuperSport, with the Confederation Cup draw at 1pm and the Champions League draw at 2pm.
CAF Champions League Qualifiers: Ahly, Power Dynamos, Al Hilal, Lupopo, Yanga, Rivers, Petro, Kabylie, FAR, Simba, Sundowns, Esperance, Stade Malien, Mouloudia, Pyramids, RS Berkane
CAF Confederation Cup Qualifiers: Azam, Zamalek, Belouizdad, Wydad, ZESCO, Maniema, USMA, San Pedro, Singida, Safi, Kaizer Chiefs, Stellenbosch, Djoliba, Al Masry, SC Otoho, Nairobi United
