Defending champions Al Ahly has been drawn in a difficult Group C in the pool stages of the 2024-25 CAF Champions League where it must negotiate South Africa’s Orlando Pirates, CR Belouizdad from Algeria and Stade d’Abidjan of the Ivory Coast.
It is likely to be a tightly contested group with record 12-time winners Ahly from Egypt having not always shown its best form in the pool stages in recent years, despite lifting the trophy in four of the previous five editions.
With the top two sides in each pool advancing to the quarter-finals, Group B also looks a tight one with South African side Mamelodi Sundowns pitted against the wily Moroccan duo of Raja Casablanca and AS FAR. Maniema Union from the Democratic Republic of Congo is the fourth team in the pool.
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Their compatriots Tout Puissant Mazembe, who are five-time African champions, headline Group A along with Young Africans of Tanzania, Sudan’s Al Hilal and MC Alger from Algeria.
Last year’s beaten finalists Esperance of Tunisia will expect to advance from Group D, where they face Pyramids FC from Egypt, Angola’s Sagrada Esperanca and Djoliba AC of Mali.
The group stage gets under way on the weekend of November 26-27, with the final matches to be played on January 17-18.
TP Mazembe (DR Congo)
Young Africans (Tanzania)
Al Hilal (Sudan)
MC Alger (Algeria)
GROUP BMamelodi Sundowns (South Africa)
Raja Casablanca (Morocco)
AS FAR (Morocco)
Maniema Union (DR Congo)
GROUP CAl Ahly (Egypt)
CR Belouizdad (Algeria)
Orlando Pirates (South Africa)
Stade d’Abidjan (Ivory Coast)
GROUP DEsperance (Tunisia)
Pyramids FC (Egypt)
Sagrada Esperanca (Angola)
Djoliba (Mali)
