Orlando Pirates have been drawn alongside Moroccan side RS Berkane, Tanzanian giants Simba SC and the club from Cameroon outfit Colombe Sportive in Group C.
The result means coach Abdeslam Ouaddou’s team will travel East, North and Central of the continent.
FULL LIST OF CAF CHAMPIONS LEAGUE GROUPS
- Group A: Esperance (Tunisia), Petro Atletico (Angola), FC Nouadhibou (Mauritania), Wiliete SC (Angola).
- Group B: Zamalek (Egypt), Young Africans (Tanzania), MC Alger (Algeria), Club Africain (Tunisia).
- Group C: RS Berkane (Morocco), Simba SC (Tanzania), Orlando Pirates (South Africa), Colombe Sportive (Cameroon).
- Group D: Pyramids (Egypt), Al Hilal (Sudan), Horoya (Guinea), MAS de Fes (Morocco).
The stage will offer six games with home and away ties, with only the winners and runners up moving ahead to the CAF Champions League quarter-finals.
Some of the favourites for the title include Esperance, Zamalek and Pyramids FC, while Al Ahly have only managed to qualify for the CAF Confederation Cup.
For Orlando Pirates, champions in 1995, the immediate focus in Group C will be making the last eight. The last time the Buccaneers played in the group stages they went as deep as the semi-finals. They narrowly lost 3-2 on aggregate to the eventual champions Pyramids FC.
The Soweto giants will be brimming with confidence after a 5-0 aggregate win over Namibian champions African Stars in the second qualifying round.
LIST OF WINNERS IN THE PAST DECADE
- 2025/26: Mamelodi Sundowns (South Africa)
- 2024/25: Pyramids FC (Egypt)
- 2023/24: Al Ahly FC (Egypt)
- 2022/23: Al Ahly FC (Egypt)
- 2021/22: Wydad Casablanca (Morocco)
- 2020/21: Al Ahly FC (Egypt)
- 2019/20: Al Ahly FC (Egypt)
- 2018/19: Espérance de Tunis (Tunisia)
- 2017/18: Espérance de Tunis (Tunisia)
- 2016/17: Wydad Casablanca (Morocco).
WHICH TEAM DO YOU PREDICT TO BECOME THIS SEASON’S CAF CHAMPIONS LEAGUE WINNERS?
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