Marumo Gallants will face two trips to north Africa and another difficult journey to the DR Congo after the draw was concluded for the CAF Confederation Cup pool phase on Monday.
There will be a familiarity around some of their opponents, not least Algerian outfit USM Alger, who were somewhat fortunate to squeeze past Cape Town City in a controversial tie earlier this season.
USM profited from some frankly diabolical refereeing to win the two-legged tie 1-0 on aggregate, but that only highlights the challenge for Gallants on and off the pitch.
They will also take on little known Libyan side Al Akhdar, who will be a tricky by beatable opponent, while they must make another trip to DR Congo to clash with St Eloi Lupopo.
Gallants have already played AS Vita Club and TP Mazembe in last year’s Confederation Cup, so another trip to the country will not frighten them.
The Limpopo clubs must finish in the top two in the pool to reach the quarterfinals, and they will feel that is a distinct possibility, especially given they have generally excelled above expectations in their two editions of continental football.
They also missed out on potentially harder top seed opponents in Mazembe, ASEC Abidjan and Pyramids from Egypt.
The group phase starts on February 12 and will finish by April 2, an intense period when Gallants will have DStv Premiership and Nedbank Cup action to focus on as well.
Here is the CAF Confederation Cup Group Stage draw in full:
Group A
USM Alger (Algeria)
Marumo Gallants (South Africa)
Al Akhdar (Libya)
St Eloi Lupopo (DR Congo)
Group A
▫️ @USMAofficiel
▫️ Marumo Gallants FC
▫️ Al Akhdar SC
▫️ FC Saint Eloi Lupopo#TotalEnergiesCAFCC pic.twitter.com/fpIqlDGjbU— TotalEnergies CAFCL – TotalEnergies CAFCC 🏆 (@CAFCLCC) December 12, 2022
Group B
ASEC Abidjan (Ivory Coast)
Diables Noirs (Congo)
Rivers United (Nigeria)
DC Motema Pembe (DR Congo)
Group B
▫️ @ASECMimosas
▫️ Diables Noirs
▫️ @RiversUnitedFC
▫️ DC Motema Pembe#TotalEnergiesCAFCC pic.twitter.com/pZSLjBKlzA— TotalEnergies CAFCL – TotalEnergies CAFCC 🏆 (@CAFCLCC) December 12, 2022
Group C
Pyramids (Egypt)
ASKO Kara (Togo)
Future FC (Egypt)
Royal Armed Forces (Morocco)
Group C
▫️ @pyramidsfc
▫️ Asko de Kara
▫️ Future FC
▫️ @ASFAR_Officiel #TotalEnergiesCAFCC pic.twitter.com/TNlhpBPBGS— TotalEnergies CAFCL – TotalEnergies CAFCC 🏆 (@CAFCLCC) December 12, 2022
Group D
TP Mazembe (DR Congo)
US Monastir (Tunisia)
Young Africans (Tanzania)
Real Bamako (Mali)
Group D
▫️ @TPMazembe
▫️ US Monastirienne
▫️ @yangasc1935
▫️ AS Real de Bamako#TotalEnergiesCAFCC pic.twitter.com/ODV9eyfXDl— TotalEnergies CAFCL – TotalEnergies CAFCC 🏆 (@CAFCLCC) December 12, 2022
Photo by Sydney Mahlangu/BackpagePix
