Renaissance Berkane Debuts as Top Seed in CAF Champions League Draw

Moroccan side Renaissance Berkane qualify as one of the top seeds for the CAF Champions League group stage draw scheduled for Monday, despite lacking prior experience in the tournament.

These seedings draw from performances across the Champions League and the secondary CAF Confederation Cup across the last five years.

Although absent from the flagship African club event, Berkane advanced to three finals in the Confederation Cup within that timeframe, securing victory in two of them.

The outfit nicknamed the Orange Boys, hailing from the northeastern citrus hub of the country, tallied 52 points throughout those five campaigns.

This total secured their spot in the top seed category, following the dominant 12-time champions Al Ahly from Egypt, along with recent winners Mamelodi Sundowns from South Africa and Esperance from Tunisia.

Egyptian title defenders Pyramids, who claimed an unexpected triumph last year via a 3-2 aggregate win against Sundowns, fall into the second seed group.

The participants for the draw, hosted in a Johannesburg television studio, feature three additional past champions, namely Mouloudia Alger and JS Kabylie from Algeria plus FAR Rabat from Morocco.

Ivory Coast clubs ASEC Mimosas and Stade Abidjan, together with Orlando Pirates, were prior victors who exited during the qualification rounds.

Besides Berkane, first timers in the group stage include Saint-Eloi Lupopo from the Democratic Republic of Congo, Power Dynamos from Zambia, Rivers United from Nigeria, and Stade Malien from Mali.

Seeding

CAF Champions League

Pot 1: Al Ahly (EGY), Mamelodi Sundowns (RSA), Esperance (Tunisia), Renaissance Berkane (MAR)

Pot 2: Simba, Young Africans (both TAN), Pyramids (EGY, holders), Al Hilal (SUD)

Pot 3: Petro Luanda (ANG), FAR Rabat (MAR), Mouloudia Alger (ALG), Rivers Utd (NGR)

Pot 4: JS Kabylie (ALG), Stade Malien (MLI), Saint-Eloi Lupopo (COD), Power Dynamos (ZAM)

CAF Confederation Cup

Pot 1: Zamalek (EGY), Wydad Casablanca (MAR), Chabab Belouizdad, USM Alger (both ALG)

Pot 2: Al Masry (EGY), Stellenbosch (RSA), Djoliba (MLI), Maniema Union (COD)

Pot 3: Kaizer Chiefs (RSA), Otoho (CGO)

Pot 4: AZAM, Singida Black Stars (both TAN), ZESCO Utd (ZAM), San Pedro (CIV), Olympique Safi (MAR), Nairobi Utd (KEN)