NAIROBI, Kenya, December 22 – Kenyan Premier League Champions Gor Mahia have been paired with Madagascar’s CNAPS (Caisse Nationale de Prevoyance Sociale Sport) in the CAF Champions League preliminary round while GOtv Shield winners Sofapaka will take on Zimbabwe’s Platinum in the Confederations Cup.
According to the draw conducted Monday at CAF headquarters in Cairo, Egypt, K’Ogalo and Batoto Ba Mungu will host the opening legs between the weekend of February 13 and 14 while the return leg is scheduled a fortnight later.
Gor who were bundled out in the second round last season by Tunisian titans Esperance will face Congo’s AC Leopards if they edge out the Mianarivo based club that competes in the Champions League for the third time.
The 14 times KPL champions had earlier declared they are not ready to compete in the continental assignment citing to financial constrains.
“It’s very expensive traveling for one home match that cost over five million shillings. We will be ready to face whoever we will be paired only if we get finance because we don’t want to bow out in the second round like last season. We urge our fans to continue supporting the club financially as we seek a sponsor,” Gor CEO Lodvick Aduda told Capital Sport.
Harambee Stars forward Allan Wanga’s Sudanese side Al Merreikh has been drawn with Tanzanian’s Azam FC.
Sofapaka on the other hand return to the Confederations Cup for the first time since 2010 where they reached the play-off and the winner between Bostwana’s BDF X1 and Tanzanian giants Young Africans awaits them for the second round.
In the Champions League, holders Algeria’s Es Setif, Coton sport (Cameroon), AC Leopards (Congo), Al Alhy (Egypt), TP Mazembe (Congo), CS Sfaxien and Esperance (Tunisia) were exempted from the preliminaries while Asec Mimoas, Zamalek, Djoliba, AS Vita, Orlando Pirates, Ahli Shendi and Tunisian sides Club African and ESS were given a bye in the Confederations Cup.
Fifty eight clubs entered the Champions League draw with 56 in the Confederations Cup.
