JOHANNESBURG - Orlando Pirates and Enyimba will renew the great football rivalry between South Africa and Nigeria after a CAF Confederation Cup draw in Cairo Monday placed both clubs in Group A.
A couple of north African teams, Entente Setif of Algeria and Al Ahly Benghazi of Libya, complete the section line-up in the African equivalent of the UEFA Europa League.
Enyimba and Setif have won the CAF Champions League twice each and Pirates once while Benghazi did well to reach the last 16 as they cannot play at home for security reasons.
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Title-holders Renaissance Berkane of Morocco are in Group B with JS Kabylie of Algeria, Coton Sport of Cameroon and NAPSA Stars of Zambia.
Berkane edged Pyramids of Egypt 1-0 in the 2020 final and hope to become the first of five Moroccan winners of the competition to successfully defend the title.
There will be two Tunisian teams in Group C provided Etoile Sahel get past Young Buffaloes of eSwatini in a delayed second leg having established a 2-1 aggregate lead in the southern African kingdom.
The winners will join record three-time Confederation Cup winners CS Sfaxien of Tunisia and two west African contenders, Salitas of Burkina Faso and ASC Jaraaf of Senegal.
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Raja Casablanca of Morocco and Pyramids are in Group D with Nkana of Zambia, who have never lost at home in 64 CAF matches, and the winners between Namungo of Tanzania and Primeiro Agosto of Angola.
The first group matches are set for Wednesday, March 10 and the last for Wednesday, April 28 with section winners and runners-up advancing to the quarter-finals.
Draw
Group A: Enyimba (NGR), Entente Setif (ALG), Orlando Pirates (RSA), Al Ahly Benghazi (LBA)
Group B: Renaissance Berkane (MAR, holders), JS Kabylie (ALG), Coton Sport (CMR), NAPSA Stars (ZAM)
Group C: Etoile Sahel (TUN) or Young Buffaloes (ESW), CS Sfaxien (TUN), Salitas (BUR), ASC Jaraaf (SEN)
Group D: Raja Casablanca (MAR), Pyramids (EGY), Nkana (ZAM), Namungo (TAN) or Primeiro Agosto (ANG)
Matchdays: March 10, 17, April 4, 11, 21, 28
Note: Group winners and runners-up qualify for quarter-finals
AFP