Pirates And Sundowns Discover CAF Champions League Opponents
In the CAF Champions League preliminary round, Orlando Pirates have been drawn against the Lesotho side Lioli, with the draw conducted on Saturday at the Azam Media Studios in Dar es Salaam.
Despite reaching the semifinals of the competition last season, where they lost to eventual champions Pyramids, the Pirates were not exempt from the first preliminary round.
Mamelodi Sundowns and Al Ahly Receive Byes
Mamelodi Sundowns, who also lost to Pyramids in the semifinals, along with Al Ahly, were among the teams exempt from the preliminary round due to their high CAF rankings. Sundowns will enter the competition in the second preliminary round, where they will face the winner between Remo Stars (Nigeria) and US Zilimadjou (Comoros).
Financial Incentives and Tournament Schedule
The draw brings a significant financial boost, as CAF President Dr. Patrice Motsepe has announced a prize money increase for clubs in the preliminary rounds, raising the amount from $50,000 to $100,000.
The journey to the final begins with the preliminary round, which will be played over two legs on the weekends of 19-21 September and 26-28 September. Winners will advance to the second preliminary round on October 17-19, with the return legs a week later from 24-26 October.
Successful teams will earn a spot in the group stage, which kicks off on 21 November. From there, the best teams will compete in the knockout stage, starting on 13 March, with the ultimate goal of lifting Africa’s most prestigious club trophy.
