The three PSL clubs are set to find out who they will face as they look to continue their journeys in continental competitions
Giants of local football Kaizer Chiefs, Mamelodi Sundowns and Orlando Pirates will learn their opponents in Caf inter-club competitions on Friday.
This comes after Pirates made history for South Africa by reaching the Caf Confederation Cup quarter-finals on Thursday morning despite losing 1-0 to Enyimba in Nigeria.
The Buccaneers progressed to the knockout phase as Group A runners-up and it is the first time that three South African clubs have reached the quarter-finals of Caf inter-club competitions.
Pirates’ local rivals Chiefs and Sundowns, who booked their places in the quarter-finals of Africa’s most prestigious club competition, Caf Champions League.
The four group winners in both Champions League and Confederation Cup are seeded, while the runners-up are unseeded and the seeded are drawn against the unseeded.
Goal takes a look at PSL giants’ potential opponents:
Kaizer Chiefs
Amakhosi, who qualified for the knockout phase as Group C runners-up, will be pitted against one of the three teams; Esperance, Simba and Sundowns.
Esperance booked their place in the knockout phase after finishing at the top of Group D and the Tunisian football powerhouse are among the favorites to win this season’s Champions League title.
While Simba stunned the African continent when the Tanzanian giants won Group A ahead of defending champions Al Ahly of Egypt and 1973 tournament winners AS Vita Club of DR Congo.
Sundowns were one of the first teams to qualify for the Champions League quarter-finals after winning their first four matches in Group B and the Brazilians deservedly finished at the top of the group.
Mamelodi Sundowns
Sundowns will be drawn against Al Ahly or MC Alger if they avoid Chiefs, who recently defeated them in an entertaining PSL encounter.
Al Ahly, who are under the guidance of former Sundowns head coach Pitso Mosimane, had to settle for the runners-up spot in Group A having dropped points against Vita Club and Simba.
On the other hand, Alger sneaked into the knockout stage after finishing second in Group D ahead of third-placed Zamalek of Egypt and the Algerian side won the Champions League in 1976.
Orlando Pirates
The Buccaneers will be drawn against one of the three teams; JS Kabylie, ASC Jaraaf and Raja Casablanca in Africa’s secondary club competition, Confederation Cup.
Kabylie eased into the quarter-finals after winning Group B with the 14-time Algerian champions undefeated having recorded three wins and three draws.
While Jaraf surprised many when the Senegalese club finished at the top of Group C which contained former tournament winners CS Sfaxien and Etoile du Sahel of Tunisia.
Lastly, Casablanca were one of the first teams to qualify for the Confederation Cup quarter-finals as the Moroccan giants remarkably won all six of their games in Group D.
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