USM Alger resumes title defence against Rivers United in CAF Confederation Cup as Tanzania heavyweights handed tricky Champions League opponents
(Made In Africa Sport) – The draws for the knockout stages of the 2023/24 CAF Champions League and CAF Confederation Cup were revealed on Tuesday, 12 March in Cairo. The quarter-finals draw for the eight (8) clubs in both competitions will officially map out the exciting knockout stages of the two tournaments.
The group stage saw title holders, USM Alger, top group A, while Zamalek, Dreams, and RS Berkane topped groups B, C, and D respectively.
With Egypt being the only country with two teams in the second round after Modern Future finished as runners-up in group A, they were joined by Libya’s Abu Salim from group B, Nigeria’s Rivers United from group C, and Mali’s Stade Malien from group D.
In the Champions League, Mamelodi Sundowns, ASEC Mimosas, Petro de Luanda, and Al Ahly were the group winners, and TP Mazembe, Simba, Espérance de Tunis, and Young Africans joined as runners-up.
Both competitions deployed the same procedure, as the four group winners were seeded for the quarter-finals while the four group runners-up were unseeded. The seeded teams were drawn against the unseeded teams, with the seeded teams hosting the second leg.
Teams from the same group were not drawn against each other, while teams from the same country were drawn against each other.
The Confederation Cup Quarter-Finals draw took place first and saw exciting match-ups for the quarter-finals of the continent’s secondary club competition. Holders, USM Alger, will travel to Nigeria to face Rivers United.
Abu Salim will stand in the way of RS Berkane in their quest to win a record-equalling three titles, as Modern Future trade tackles with Zamalek in an all-Egyptian affair, and the quartet is completed with Ghana’s Dreams facing Stade Malien.
8 teams, 8 different routes, 1 final destination in sight. 🏆 #TotalEnergiesCAFCC pic.twitter.com/3CzA2NYgag
— TotalEnergies CAFCL & CAFCC 🏆 (@CAFCLCC) March 12, 2024
The road to the final of the 60th edition of Africa’s premier club football tournament is as challenging as one could ever imagine.
Tunisian champions, Espérance de Tunis, will welcome Ivorian champion, ASEC Mimosas, with the winner facing the Tanzanian champion, Young Africans, or the South African champion, Mamelodi Sundowns.
In the other path of the draw, five-time winner TP Mazembe will face Angola Girabola champions, Petro de Luanda, and the match-up between 22-time Tanzania league winner, Simba, and Champions League title holder, Al Ahly.
The road to the precious #TotalEnergiesCAFCL title is all drawn. 🤩 pic.twitter.com/Kb9zBMfkCj
— TotalEnergies CAFCL & CAFCC 🏆 (@CAFCLCC) March 12, 2024
The knockout will kick off with games in the Champions League on 29–30 March 2024 for the first leg, and the second leg comes a week later from 5–6 April 2024, while the Confederation Cup comes up a day later for both legs on 31 March 2024 and 7 April 2024.
The semi-final is scheduled for 19–20 April 2024 and 26–27 April 2024 for the Champions League, and 21 April 2024 and 28 April 2024 for the Confederation Cup.
The African club competitions end with double-legged finals, starting with the Confederations Cup on 10 May 2024 and 17 May 2024, and the Champions League on 19 May 2024 and 26 May 2024.
