WeeklySA_AdminCAF CHAMPIONS LEAGUE: Former African champions Orlando Pirates will be away to Madagascar’s CNaPS Sport
By Sports Reporter
The CAF Champions League will return with a bang this weekend, featuring no less than 27 first round, first leg qualifying matches across the continent.
This round excludes the five seeded teams who have been given a bye to next month’s second qualifying round: TP Mazembe (DR Congo), Petro de Luanda (Angola), Mamelodi Sundowns (South Africa), Esperance de Tunis (Tunisia) and Al Ahly (Egypt).
There are nonetheless some major names in action, including Tanzanian champions Young Africans, who will be away to Burundi’s Vital’O on Saturday – where the hosts are confident that they can spring a surprise.
“We want to compete against Young Africans. I know we are not favourites, but these games are about results. We want to win and progress in the Champions League,” said Vital’O official Arsene Bacuti.
The weekend features two Libya v Sudan clashes in the shape of Al Nasr v Al Merrikh and Al Ahly Benghazi v Al Hilal, while Ivorian sides Stade Abidjan and San Pedro will have West African derbies against Teungueth FC (Senegal) and Bo Rangers (Sierra Leone) respectively.
Former African champions Orlando Pirates of South Africa will be away to Madagascar’s CNaPS Sport (also known as Disciples). Pirates striker Tshegofatso Mabasa believes the team’s preseason tour in Spain has primed them for the test of African club competition.
“The games were physical and that’s exactly what we will experience in Africa now we are ready for those physical battles in the Champions League,” said Mabasa.
Nigerian teams Enugu Rangers and Remo Stars will both be in action on Sunday against US Zilimadjou (Comoros) and AS FAR (Morocco) respectively. Rangers coach Fidelis Ilechukwu believes his side is “getting to the level required to challenge positively in the CAF Champions League”.
The fate of North African heavyweights will also be a focus, with Raja Casablanca (Morocco), CR Belouizdad (Algeria) and Pyramids FC (Egypt) taking on AS GNN (Niger), AC Leopards (Congo) and JKU SC (Zanzibar) respectively.
The second leg matches will be played on the weekend of 23-25 August.
Meanwhile, when Buccaneers open their 2024 CAF Champions League campaign this weekend, there will be some notable differences to the playing jersey numbers, relative to what you will have been accustomed to in the BETWAY Premiership.
The rules according to the Confederation of African Football, for all continental tournaments allows for a maximum of 40 registered players, all sporting the numbers 1-40. With this in mind, the previously unused Orlando Pirates jersey numbers 10, 13 and 22 will once again make an on-field return in this season’s instalment of Africa’s premier club competition.
In the past, the number 10 jersey was worn by Vincent Pule. But since Mashonisa’s departure, the famous number 10 jersey, has been vacated and will now have a new owner.
Reigning PSL Players Player of the Season Tito Maswanganyi who currently dons the number 28 jersey in the league, will wear number 10.
Meanwhile, Relebohile Mofokeng will exchange his number 38 for number 3 in this year’s competition.
Other jersey number changes will include the players who are usually numbered higher than 40 in the season roster, and these players will don the numbers currently vacated by the unregistered squad players for this phase of the competition.
Pirates is also pleased to announce the signing of Deano van Rooyen from Stellenbosch FC. The 27-year-old has signed a three year contract with the Buccaneers, which includes an additional two-year option.
Van Rooyen who joined Stellenbosch FC as a teenager, made his senior debut in 2016 featuring as a substitute at 19 years old. He would go on to help the Maroons gain promotion to the Premiership three years later.
He went to become a prominent figure for the club, averaging an impressive 27 league matches per season (since 2019).
Die Hond as he is affectionately known, a name that underpins his never say die spirit, has served his former club with flying colours – registering over 150 appearances in all competitions.
