Holders RS Berkane will face Tunisia’s US Monastir in the play-offs for the group stage of this season’s Caf Confederation Cup.
US Monastir are among the 16 teams dropping into the Confederation Cup from the African Champions League, the continent’s premier club competition.
Moroccan club Berkane only sneaked past Nigeria’s Kwara United on away goals in the second preliminary round after a 2-0 home win saw the tie end 3-3 on aggregate.
DR Congo’s TP Mazembe, CS Sfaxien of Tunisia and Morocco’s AS FAR are three other clubs with outstanding pedigrees in the play-off round, which will be held over two legs next month.
Record three-time Confederation Cup winners Sfaxien drew Togo’s ASKO de Kara, and are favourites to secure a place in the 16-team group phase.
TP Mazembe, who sacked boss Franck Dumas and replaced him with Pamphile Mihayo following their exit from the Champions League, will face Royal AM of South Africa.
AS FAR, winners in 2005, travel to Malian outfit Djoliba while Algeria’s USM Alger will play away first at South Africa’s Cape Town City.
ASEC Mimosas and SC Gagnoa will face off in an Ivorian derby, while a potential Congolese duel awaits with Saint Eloi Lupopo facing the losers of the delayed Champions League tie between AS Vita Club and RC Kadiogo of Burkina Faso.
Clubs from Morocco and Tunisia have dominated Africa’s second-tier continental club competition since its launch in 2004, winning 12 of the 19 finals – with Berkane victorious in 2020 and last season.
Caf Confederation Cup play-offs draw
- US Monastir (Tunisia) v RS Berkane (holders, Morocco)
- Royal Leopards (Eswatini) v AS Real Bamako (Mali)
- TP Mazembe (DR Congo) v Royal AM FC (South Africa)
- Primeiro de Agosto (Angola) v Future FC (Egypt)
- ASEC Mimosas (Ivory Coast) v SC Gagnoa (Ivory Coast)
- Djoliba AC (Mali) v AS FAR (Morocco)
- Al Ahli Tripoli (Libya) v Marumo Gallants (South Africa)
- ASKO de Kara (Togo) v CS Sfaxien (Tunisia)
- Young Africans (Tanzania) v Club Africain (Tunisia)
- Flambeau du Centre (Burundi) v DC Motema Pembe (DR Congo)
- Rivers United (Nigeria) v El Nasr (Libya)
- Cape Town City (South Africa) v USM Alger (Algeria)
- AS Nigelec (Niger) v Pyramids FC (Egypt)
- La Passe FC (Seychelles) v Diables Noirs (Congo)
- Plateau United (Nigeria) v Al Akhder (Libya)
- AS Vita Club or RC Kadiogo v FC St Eloi Lupopo (DR Congo)
First legs to be held 2 November, with second legs on 9 November. Winners qualify for group phase.
