Mamelodi Sundowns, Orlando Pirates, and Stellenbosch FC are set to discover their next opponents in the CAF Champions League and CAF Confederation Cup quarterfinal draw on Thursday.
The highly anticipated event will take place in Doha, Qatar, and will be broadcast live by CAF’s media rights partner, beIN Sports.
The draw for the CAF Confederation Cup will take place first, starting at 16:00 local time, followed by the CAF Champions League draw an hour later.
Both draws will set the stage for thrilling two-legged quarterfinal matchups, with the Champions League first legs scheduled for April 1-2 and 8-9, 2025, while the Confederation Cup first legs will take place on April 2 and 9, 2025.
Notably, both reigning champions will feature in the quarterfinal draws: Al Ahly SC, the defending CAF Champions League champions, and Zamalek SC, the current holders of the CAF Confederation Cup. These high-profile teams are expected to be among the favorites for another deep run in their respective competitions.
Quarter-Final Draw Procedure:
Step 1: A ball will be selected from the runners-up pot (Pot 1), and the drawn team will be announced.
Step 2: One ball will be drawn from each of the remaining pots (Pots 2, 3, 4, and 5), excluding the pot containing the team from the same group as the runner-up drawn in Step 1. This ensures that no teams from the same group will face each other in the quarterfinals.
Step 3: The selected teams from Step 2 will be placed in an empty pot (Pot 6).
Step 4: One ball will be drawn from Pot 6 to determine the team that will face the runner-up selected in Step 1 for Quarterfinal 1 (QF1).
Step 5: This process will be repeated three more times to determine the remaining quarterfinal matchups for QF2, QF3, and QF4, while eliminating the pot of the team drawn in Step 4.
Qualified Teams for the Quarter-Finals:
TotalEnergies CAF Champions League:
Al Ahly SC (Egypt)
Al Hilal (Sudan)
AS FAR (Morocco)
Espérance Sportive de Tunis (Tunisia)
Mamelodi Sundowns (South Africa)
Orlando Pirates (South Africa)
Pyramids (Egypt)
MC Alger (Algeria)
TotalEnergies CAF Confederation Cup:
Zamalek SC (Egypt)
Asec Mimosas (Côte d’Ivoire)
Al Masry (Egypt)
CS Constantine (Algeria)
RS Berkane (Morocco)
Simba SC (Tanzania)
Stellenbosch FC (South Africa)
USM Alger (Algeria)
The draw will set the stage for some exciting matchups in both tournaments, as these top clubs from across Africa battle for a spot in the semifinals.
The inclusion of South African teams like Sundowns, Pirates, and Stellenbosch further emphasizes the growing strength of South African football on the continental stage.