CAIRO, Egypt – Premier League champions Scottland will play Eswatini’s Nsingizini Hotspurs in the opening preliminary round of the African Champions League following a draw in Cairo, Egypt, on Thursday.
The winner of that fixture will go through to the second preliminary round to face the victor in the fixture between Mozambique’s Uniao do Songo and Atletico Petroleos from Angola.
Should Scottland clear those two hurdles, they will be through to the lucrative group stages.
For playing in the preliminary round, they are guaranteed $100,000 and if they go on to win the Champions League, a $6 million pay parcel awaits them.
CAF handed the three highest-ranked clubs in the field a bye through the first preliminary round: Mamelodi Sundowns (South Africa), Esperance Sportive (Tunisia) and Renaissance Berkane (Morocco).
First legs in the opening preliminary round run from 4 to 6 September, with the return fixtures set for the 11th to 13th of the same month.
The second preliminary round follows a similar pattern. First legs fall between 16 and 18 October, and the return matches take place from the 23rd to the 25th.
Mamelodi Sundowns arrive as reigning champions, having beaten Morocco’s FAR Rabat in last season’s final.
First Preliminary Round Draw
Angola’s Wiliete v Seychelles’ Foresters FC.
Zimbabwe’s Scotland FC v Eswatini’s Nsingizini Hotspurs.
Mozambique’s Uniao do Songo v Angola’s Atletico Petroleos.
Gabon’s Mangasport v Namibia’s African Stars.
Mauritius’ La Cure Waves v South Africa’s Orlando Pirates.
Angola’s 15 de Agosto v Comoros’ Fomboni FC.
Malawi’s Mighty Wanderers v Tanzania’s Simba.
Madagascar’s CFFA v Lioli, champions of Lesotho.
Botswana’s Gaborone United v Tanzania’s Young Africans.
Libya’s Al-Sweihli v Zanzibar’s KVZ.
Congo’s Aigle du v Rwanda’s Army (APR).
Djibouti’s AS Port v Egypt’s Zamalek.
Al-Merrikh Bentiu (South Sudan) v Somalia’s Hegan.
Kenya’s Gor Mahia v Egypt’s Pyramids.
Ailgons FC from the Comoros v Ethiopia’s Sidama Bunna.
Burundi’s Aigle Noir v Sudan’s Al-Hilal.
Gambia’s Star Sport v Gambia’s Medina United.
Morocco’s Maghreb Fez v Burkina Faso’s Rahimo.
Togo’s ASKO Kara v Ivory Coast’s ASEC Mimosas.
FC Canchungo from Guinea-Bissau v Senegal’s Teungueth.
Cameroon’s Colombe Sportive v Mali’s Stade Malien.
Nigeria’s Rangers International v Benin’s AS Sobamap.
ASN Nigelec from Niger v MC Alger.
Ivory Coast’s San Pedro v Nigeria’s Rivers United.
Uganda’s Vipers v Mauritania’s Nouadhibou.
Algeria’s JS Saoura v Guinea’s Horoya.
Sudan’s Al-Merrikh v Zambia’s Power Dynamos.
Ghana’s Medeama v DR Congo’s Mazembe.
Tunisia’s Club Africain v Mali’s Djoliba.
Second Preliminary Round Draw
The winner of Angola’s Wiliete v Seychelles’ Foresters against South Africa’s Mamelodi Sundowns.
The winner of Scotland FC v Nsingizini Hotspurs against the winner of Uniao do Songo v Atletico Petroleos.
The winner of Mangasport v African Stars against the winner of La Cure Waves v Orlando Pirates.
The winner of 15 de Agosto v Fomboni against the winner of Mighty Wanderers v Simba.
The winner of CFFA v Lioli against the winner of Gaborone United v Young Africans.
The winner of Al-Sweihli v KVZ against Tunisia’s Esperance.
The winner of Congo’s Aigle du v Rwanda’s Army against the winner of AS Port v Egypt’s Zamalek.
The winner of Al-Merrikh Bentiu v Hegan against the winner of Gor Mahia v Egypt’s Pyramids.
The winner of Ailgons FC v Sidama Bunna against the winner of Aigle Noir v Sudan’s Al-Hilal.
The winner of Star Sport v Medina United against Morocco’s Renaissance Berkane.
The winner of Maghreb Fez v Rahimo against the winner of ASKO Kara v ASEC Mimosas.
The winner of Canchungo v Teungueth against the winner of Colombe Sportive v Stade Malien.
The winner of Rangers International v Sobamap against the winner of ASN Nigelec v MC Alger.
The winner of San Pedro v Rivers United against the winner of Vipers v Nouadhibou.
The winner of JS Saoura v Horoya against the winner of Sudan’s Al-Merrikh v Power Dynamos.
The winner of Medeama v Mazembe against the winner of Tunisia’s Club Africain v Mali’s Djoliba.
