Namibian league champions African Stars were last week drawn against Botswana champions Jwaneng Galaxy for the preliminary rounds of the 2024/25 Confederation of African Football (CAF) Champions League.
The draw for the preliminary stages of the 2024/25 interclub season was held at CAF headquarters in Cairo, Egypt.
A total of 59 clubs from 47 African countries will participate in this year’s championship.
Debmarine Namibia Premiership champions African Stars will be making their sixth appearance in a CAF Cup competition since 1992, while Jwaneng Galaxy will be making their third appearance in the Champions League.
Jwaneng Galaxy reached the group stages during their second attempt in the 2023/24 competition.
African Stars’ chairperson Salomo Hei told Nampa in an interview that the draw looks favourable cost-wise.
He, however, hastened to say they are going to take it one step at a time when the preliminary play-offs start.
“Jwaneng made the group stage in the 2023/23 edition of the competition, while we did not make the group stages, despite winning our first leg and losing against Power Dynamos on the away-goal advantage in Zambia. We are now going to take it as it comes,” he said.
Hei added that as a team, they have never played Jwaneng Galaxy, but will be travelling to Botswana for a pre-season tournament where they will play some of the best teams in that country, and this will be good preparation.
The CAF Champions League is among the most-coveted club competitions in African club football.
The first preliminary round of the first legs will take place between 16 and 18 August 2024, with the return legs set to be played between 23 and 25 August 2024.
The second preliminary round will follow between 13 and 15 September for the first legs, while the return legs to confirm the draw for the group stages will be played between 20 and 22 September 2024.
Al Ahly SC of Egypt were the champions of the 2023/24 edition of the TotalEnergies CAF Champions League, extending their record to 12 titles, while their arch-rivals Zamalek were crowned champions of the CAF Confederation Cup for the second time. -Nampa