Champions Al Ahly and Tunisia’s Esperance are two of six clubs who have been given byes in the preliminary round of the 2014 CAF Champions League.
The other clubs are CAF Confederation Cup winners CS Sfaxien, TP Mazembe of DR Congo, Al Hilal of Sudan and Cameroon’s Coton Sport.
A total of 52 clubs have entered for next year’s competition.
The draw for the club competition staged on Monday in Marrekech, Morocco, sees several past winners of Africa’s foremost clubs competition including Zamalek, Enyimba and Raja Casablanca involved in the preliminary rounds.
Two-time winners Enyimba will first host Ange de Notse of Togo, while Zamalek face AS Douanes of Niger and Raja are up against Diamond Stars of Sierra Leone.
Atlabar will become the first club from South Sudan to feature in this competition and they are drawn against Ghana’s Berekum Chelsea.
The preliminary rounds will kick off on the weekend of February 7-9, while the return leg matches will be played a week later.
The Round of 16 matches will be played between February 28 to March 9, while the final qualifying round before group play begins is slated for between March 21 and 30.
In the CAF Confederation Cup, 42 clubs will compete for the top prize.
This year’s winners CS Sfaxien as well as runners-up TP Mazembe have opted for the more prestigious Champions League.
Nigerian pair Bayelsa United and Warri Wolves have been given byes as well as Asec Mimosas (Ivory Coast), MAS (Morocco), Djoliba (Mali), Ismaily, Wadi Degla (Egypt), Zesco United (Zambia), Al Ahly Shandy (Sudan) and Etoile du Sahel, CA Bizerte (Tunisia).
Malakia will be the first club from South Sudan to feature in this competition and they are pitted against Cara of Congo in the preliminary round.
The first leg preliminary round matches will begin on February 7.
The full draw:
Young Africans (Tanzania) v Komorozine (Comoros) / Berekum Chelsea (Ghana) v Atlabara (South Sudan) / Al Ahly Benghazi (Libya) v Foullah Edifice (Chad) / Gor Mahia (Kenya) v US Bitam (Gabon) / Enyimba (Nigeria) v Anges de Notse (Togo) / FAR Rabat (Morocco) v AS Real Bamako (Mali) / Les Astres (Cameroon) v Akonangui (Equatorial Guinea) / Asante Kotoko (Ghana) v Barrack Young Controllers (Liberia) / Sewe Sport (Ivory Coast) v OS Balantas (Guinea-Bissau) / Dedebit (Ethiopia) v KMKM (Zanzibar) / Nouadhibou (Mauritania) v Horoya (Guinea) / Raja Casablanca (Morocco) v Diamond Stars (Sierra Leone) / Diables Noirs (Congo) v Flambeau de l’Est (Burundi) / ES Setif (Algeria) v Steve Biko (The Gambia) / Diambars (Senegal) v ASFA Yennenga (Burkina Faso) / USM El Harrach (Algeria) v Stade Malien (Mali) / AC Leopards (Congo) v Rayon Sports (Rwanda) / Primeiro de Agosto (Angola) v Lioli (Lesotho) / Kaizer Chiefs (South Africa) v Black Africa (Namibia) / Liga Muculmana (Mozambique) v CNaPS Sport (Madagascar) / Dynamos (Zimbabwe) v Mochudi Centre Chiefs (Botswana) / AS Vita Club (DR Congo) v Kano Pillars (Nigeria) / Zamalek (Egypt) v AS Douanes Nimaey (Niger) / Kabuscorp (Angola) v Cote d’Or (Seychelles) / Mbabane Swallos (Swaziland) v Nkana (Zambia) / Al Merrikh (Sudan) v Kampala City Council (Uganda)
