The quest to be crowned kings of Africa is set to begin, with the Confederation of African Football (CAF) releasing the fixtures for the preliminary stages of the 2024/25 TotalEnergies CAF Champions League.

54 matches are on the docket, with several exciting clashes anticipated as teams vie to progress towards the lucrative group stages. Some of the continent’s most ambitious teams will be eager to make their mark, including Arta Solar of Djibouti who faces off against Somalia’s Dekadaha FC.

CAF Key Dates and Match Schedule

The road to glory will be a long one. The first leg fixtures will be played between August 16th and 18th, 2024, with the return legs following a week later on August 23rd and 25th. This two-legged knockout format will determine which teams advance to the next round. It’s important to note that some teams are exempt from this initial stage. Powerhouses like record ten-time champions Al Ahly (Egypt), four-time winners Esperance de Tunis (Tunisia), and South African giants Mamelodi Sundowns will receive a bye and enter the qualification process at a later stage.

A Tournament Format with High Stakes

The CAF Champions League is Africa’s premier club football competition. It features a multi-round knockout format, culminating in a group stage followed by more knockout rounds to determine the champion. This year, a total of 68 teams could potentially enter the tournament, with the number depending on the final rankings of each member association according to CAF’s five-year ranking system. The ranking determines how many teams each country can send to the competition.

Intriguing Matchups to Watch Out For

Several exciting first-round clashes are sure to grab the attention of fans across Africa. East African giants Young Africans (Tanzania) will lock horns with Burundian outfit Vital’o FC, while AS Kigali of Rwanda face a tough test against Sudanese club Al-Merrikh. In the West African region, Stade Malien (Mali) will battle it out with AS Douanes (Niger), while a potentially explosive encounter is brewing between Nigerian side Enyimba FC and Burkina Faso’s AS SONABEL.