Both Mamelodi Sundowns and Orlando Pirates have been exempted from competing in the preliminary rounds of the upcoming 2020/2021 CAF Champions League and CAF Confederations Cup.
Mamelodi Sundowns are the sixth ranked club on the continent and as a result, will be exempted from the preliminary CAF Champions League round while Orlando Pirates are ranked in 23rd place and will also bypass the CAF Confederations Cup preliminary round stage.
Fellow South African participants Kaizer Chiefs (CAF Champions League alongside Mamelodi Sundowns) and Bloemfontein Celtic (CAF Confederations Cup alongside Orlando Pirates) are set to find out their preliminary round opponents at tomorrow afternoon’s CAF inter-club competition draw.
Orlando Pirates exempted from CAF Confederations Cup preliminary round alongside:
- Etoile du Sahel (Tunisia)
- RS Berkane (Morocco)
- ES Setif (Algeria)
- Pyramids FC (Egypt)
- Orlando Pirates (South Africa)
- JS Kabylie (Algeria)
- KCCA (Uganda)
- San Pedro (Ivory Coast)
- ESAE (Benin)
- Al Hilal Obeid (Sudan)
- UD Songo (Mozambique)
- DC Motema Pembe (DR Congo)
Mamelodi Sundowns exempted from CAF Champions League preliminary round alongside:
- Esperance de Tunis (Tunisia)
- TP Mazembe (DR Congo)
- Wydad Casablanca (Morocco)
- Raja Casablanca (Morocco)
- Al Ahly (Egypt)
- Zamalek (Egypt)
- Mamelodi Sundowns (South Africa)
- Horoya AC (Guinea)
- AS Vita Club (DR Congo)
- Premiero De Agosto (Angola)
2020/2021 CAF Champions League schedule
- Preliminary round first leg: 27 to 29 November 2020
- Preliminary round second leg: 4 to 6 December 2020
- First qualifying round first leg: 22 to 23 December 2020
- First qualifying round second leg: 5 to 6 January 2021
- Group stage matchday one: 12 to 13 February 2021
- Group stage matchday two: 23 to 24 February 2021
- Group stage matchday three: 5 to 6 March 2021
- Group stage matchday four: 16 to 17 March 2021
- Group stage matchday five: 2 to 4 April 2021
- Group stage matchday six: 9 to 11 April 2021
- Quarterfinal first leg: 14 to 16 May 2021
- Quarterfinal second leg: 21 to 23 May 2021
- Semi-final first leg: 18 to 20 June 2021
- Semi-final second leg: 25 to 27 June 2021
The draws for the both the 2020/2021 CAF Champions League and CAF Confederations Cup is set to take place in Cairo on Monday, 09 November 2020, at noon. Both Mamelodi Sundowns and Orlando Pirates will find out who they could potentially face in the next round while Kaizer Chiefs and Bloemfontein Celtic’s immediate opponents will be unveiled.
