TotalEnergies CAF Champions League 2022/2023: News, Fixtures, Updates.
The TotalEnergies CAF Champions League 2022/2023 season kicks off next month, February with exciting games.
The group phase will kick off in February, just after the conclusion of the TotalEnergies African Nations Championship (CHAN) in Algeria in January.
Defending champions Wydad Athletic Club were drawn in Group A and also re-united with a side they faced in the group stages last year, Petro de Luanda.
The two East African giants (Simba SC and Vipers SC) were drawn together in Group C with Morocco’s Raja Casablanca and Guinea’s Horoya AC.
The former head coach of Vipers SC is now currently the coach of Simba SC. They will face off against each other on Match Day 3 at the St. Mary’s Stadium Kitende on the 24,25th February.
Last year Uganda Premier League champions unveiled a new coach Beto Bianchi who will now take charge of the CAF games starting next month.
Group B has African Giants, Al Ahly SC from Egypt and Mamelodi Sundowns from South Africa, these teams have met on very many occasions.
Sundowns hope to do better than last season when they made it out of the groups, but saw their journey end in the quarter final stage.
Mamelodi Sundowns will welcome Al Hilal Omdurman to South Africa on Match Day 1 as Al Ahly and Coton Sport game was postponed due the upcoming U20 AFCON that will take place in Egypt as its stadium will be used for matches.
Zamalek SC were drawn in group D with Tunisia’s ES Tunis and Algeria’s CR Belouizdad joined by Sudan’s AL Merrikh SC, its a tough group with tough opponents.
The winner of the tournament earns a berth for the FIFA Club World Cup, a tournament contested between the champion clubs from all six continental confederations, and also faces the winner of the CAF Confederation Cup in the following season’s CAF Super Cup.
Al Ahly from Egypt, has won the trophy 10 times and their last win was in 2021. Zamalek SC and TP Mazembe have won it 5 times each.
In 2017, CAF increased the prize money to be shared between the top 16 clubs.
The Champions take home US $2,500,000, runners up go away with US $1,250,000. The semi finalists take US $875,000 while the quarter finalists part with US $650,000. 3rd and 4th in the group stage are given US $550,000.
TotalEnergies CAF Champions League Fixtures:
Date: 10th Feb 2023
Petro Atletico vs JS Kabyile
Wydad Casablanca vs AS Vita Club
**Al Ahly vs Coton Sport (postponed)
Mamelodi Sundowns vs Al Hilal Omdurman
Horoya AC vs Simba SC
Raja Casablanca vs Vipers SC
El Zamalek vs CR Belouizdad
Esperance vs Al Merreikh
Games will be live on SuperSport.