Debut making Gaadiika FC to face APR in CAF Champions League

Two teams from the CECAFA Zone Gaadiika FC (Somalia) and Burundi’s Bumamuru FC will make their debut in the TotalEnergies CAF Champions League when the competition kicks off in the first round preliminary round next month.

In the draw conducted today at the CAF headquarters in Cairo, Egypt, Gaadiika FC has been placed to face Rwanda’s APR FC, while Bumamuru take on Gambia’s Bendje FC.

While Bumamuru played in the CAF Confederation Cup last season, Gaadiika FC will be making their first appearance in the big stage. The first legs will be played between August 18-20, while the return legs take place August 25-27th, 2023.

Zanzibar Premier League champions KMKM Sc will face-off with St. George from Ethiopia, while Salaam Bor FC (South Sudan) battle El Hilal from Sudan in the other first round preliminary matches.

Sudan’s El Merriekh will face As Otoho (Congo Brazzaville), while Uganda’s Vipers SC take on Jwaneng Galaxy FC (Botswana), and new Djibouti Premier League champions ASAS face a tough test against Tanzania Premier League giants Young Africans SC.

In-case Young Africans SC, runners-up of the 2022/2023 CAF Confederation Cup sail through they will face the winner between AS Otoho and Al Merriekh in the second preliminary round.

Simba SC (Tanzania), the only highly ranked team from the CECAFA region will start their campaign in the second preliminary round to face the winner between AF Stars (Namibia) and Zambia’s Power Dynamos FC. The second preliminary round will be played between September 15-17 for the first round and September 29th to October 1st for the second round.

Egypt’s Al Ahly are the defending champions of the TotalEnergies CAF Champions League.