Caf inter-club draws: Mamelodi Sundowns, Simba SC, Rivers United handed tricky groups

• Sundowns, Simba and Rivers placed in challenging groups
• Group winners and runners-up to advance
• Group matches to be played between February and March

WHAT HAPPENED: The Champions League pooling has been conducted on Monday afternoon in Cairo, Egypt whereby 16 teams were grouped into four.

The same number of teams were also pooled in the second-tier competition; the Caf Confederation Cup.

Premier Soccer League defending champions Mamelodi Sundowns have been placed in a tough Group B that is made up of last season's finalists Al Ahly of Egypt, Sudanese side Al Hilal and Cameroonian team Cotton Sport.

Masandawana recorded a huge 15-1 aggregate win over Seychelles outfit La Passe recently. The South African heavyweights had received a bye from an initial stage.

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Nigerians Rivers United handed Monrovian team Watanga a 4-0 aggregate defeat in the first preliminary round of the Champions League. In the second preliminary round, they fell 8-1 on aggregate against defending champions Wydad Casablanca and as a result are relegated to the Confederation Cup.

They have now been pooled in Group B with ASEC Mimosas of Ivory Coast, Congo's Diables Noirs, and DC Motema Pembe of the Democratic Republic of Congo.

THE BIGGER PICTURE: Simba SC eliminated Nyasa Big Bullets and Agosto in the first and second preliminary rounds respectively.

The former Tanzania Mainland League champions will now battle for a place in the next round against other Group C teams AC Horoya from Guinea, Ugandan giants Vipers SC and North African team Raja Casablanca.

Simba SC

Moroccan side Wydad Casablanca, Petro Atletico of Angola, JS Kabylie, and AS Vita Club of Algeria and DRC respectively, have been drawn in Group A.

Group D has Tunisia side Esperance, Egypt's Zamalek, CR Belouizdad of Algeria and AL Merrikh of Sudan.

AND WHAT IS MORE: Group A of the Caf Confederation Cup has USMA of Algeria, South Africa's Marumo Gallants, Libyan outfit Al Akhder and FC St. Eloi Lupopo from DRC.

Egypt's Pyramids and Future FC highlight Group C alongside ASKO de Kara from Togo and ASFAR from Morocco.

DRC heavyweights TP Mazembe, US Monastirienne of Tunisia, Yanga SC from Tanzania and Real de Bamako of Mali are pooled in Group D.

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WHAT NEXT: Teams will play on a home and away round-robin basis between February and March 2023 with the group winners and runners-up advancing.