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The age-long Nigeria–Ghana football rivalry will be reignited in the CAF Confederation Cup, as Asante Kotoko host Kwara United in the first leg.
Asante Kotoko were African champions in 1970 and 1983.
This is their seventh appearance in the CAF Confederation Cup. The Ghanaian side, which will host the first leg, has also featured in the old CAF Winners Cup seven times.
Kwara United are also not newcomers on the continental stage. This will be their third venture at the CAF Confederation Cup after those of 2007 and the 2022/23 season. They were quarter finalists in the 1999 edition of the old-styled CAF Cup.
Continental debutants Abia Warriors will take on Malian giants Djoliba, with the Nigerian side hosting the first leg.
Djoliba AC is the dominant club in Mali, having been champions 24 times. They have won the national cup 20 times.
While Abia Warriors will be playing their first CAF Confederation Cup when they face the Malians next month, it will be the 55th Confederation Cup match for Djoliba.
However, a total of 58 clubs from across Africa will compete in this year’s edition, with several blockbuster fixtures already lined up in the opening rounds.
Six of the continent’s top-ranked clubs – Wydad AC (Morocco), USM Alger (Algeria), CR Belouizdad (Algeria), Zamalek SC (Egypt), Al Masry SC (Egypt), and Stellenbosch FC (South Africa) – have been handed byes into the Second Preliminary Round based on CAF Club Rankings.
In one of the standout ties, Ghanaian giants Asante Kotoko will face fellow West Africans Kwara United of Nigeria, with the winners taking on Moroccan powerhouse Wydad AC in the next round.
Another intriguing clash sees Hafia FC of Guinea battle Algeria’s CR Belouizdad, while Burkina Faso’s USFA host Nigeria’s Abia Warriors, with Mali’s Djoliba AC awaiting in the Second Preliminary Round.
Senegal’s Génération Foot meet Côte d’Ivoire’s Amadou Diallo FC, with the winners set for a showdown against former CAF Confederation Cup champions USM Alger.
Elsewhere, Tanzania’s Azam FC will have to navigate past Zanzibar’s KMKM SC and South Sudan’s El Merriekh Bentiu for a place in the next stage, while Uganda’s NEC FC take on Sudan’s Al Ahli Madani, with Tunisia’s Étoile Sportive du Sahel awaiting the winners.
Zambia’s Zesco United lock horns with Malawi’s Mighty Wanderers for a potential tie against Botswana’s Jwaneng Galaxy, while DR Congo’s second representative will meet Angola’s Kabuscrop de Palanca for a spot against South Africa’s Kaizer Chiefs.
The draw has also thrown up regional derbies, debut appearances for ambitious newcomers, and the prospect of titanic North African clashes in the latter stages