CAF Confederation Cup: Kaizer Chiefs’ potential group stage opponents

Kaizer Chiefs will have to face one of Africa’s giants in the CAF Confederation Cup group stages following their qualification on Sunday.

Chiefs qualified after beating AS Simba from DR Congo 3-1 on aggregate, having secured the win on Sunday, and will now look forward to the group stage draw which will be conducted in Johannesburg on November 3.

According to Confederation of African Football (CAF) rules, group stage draw is conducted after teams have been distributed into four pots namely; 1, 2, 3 and 4.

Kaizer Chiefs among lowest ranked teams

CAF uses club rankings to distribute teams in the pots and clubs with the highest rankings land in pot 1 and 2 and the lowest or no rankings end up in pots 3 and 4.

As per this season’s competition, Chiefs are one of two teams in Pot 3, alongside Otoho d’Oyo from Congo Brazzaville, while Pot 2 has Stellenbosch FC, who reached the semi-final last term, Al Masry of Egypt, Mali’s Djoliba and AS Maniema of DR Congo.

The top seeded teams in Pot 1 are Egyptian giants Zamalek SC, who were beaten at the quarter-final by Stellies last season, Moroccan giants Wydad Athletic Club, home to Thembinkosi Lorch, and Algerian duo CR Belouizdad as well as USM Alger.

Who will Amakhosi face at group stage?

This means Chiefs will face any of the Pot 1 teams being Zamalek, Wydad, CR Belouizdad and USM Alger as well as either Al Masry, Djoliba and AS Maniema from Pot 2 but avoid Stellenbosch since they come from the same country.

Chiefs will then get one more team from Pot 4 which has Tanzanian pair Azam FC and Singida Black Stars, Zambia’s Zesco United, Kenya’s Nairobi United, San Pedro from Ivory Coast or Morocco’s Olympique de Safi.

Meanwhile, Stellenbosch will face any of the Pot 1 teams but avoid Pot 2 opponents with Otoho d’Oyo their other likely opponents as well as any of the Pot 4 teams.

The top two teams from the four groups will make it to the quarter-final of the competition early next year.