WINDHOEK: Namibia’s Premier League champions, African Stars, were on Thursday drawn against Botswana league 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 CAF 2024/25 Interclub season was held at the 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. They will face Jwaneng Galaxy, who will make 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 on Thursday that the draw looks favourable cost-wise, but 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 went on to lose against Power Dynamo on away goal advantage in Zambia, so 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 are travelling to Botswana for a preseason tournament which will see them play some of the best teams that side and it will be good preparation before we take them on in August.

The CAF Champions League is among the most coveted club competitions in African club football.

The first preliminary round of the first leg will take place between 16 and 18 August 2024, with the return leg set to be played between 23 and 25 August 2024.

The second preliminary round will then 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 from Egypt were crowned champions of the 2023/24 edition of the TotalEnergies CAF Champio
ns League, extending their record to 12 titles, while their arch-rivals Zamalek were crowned champions of the CAF Confederation Cup for the second time.

Source: The Namibia News Agency