The long road to glory in the 2017 CAF Confederation Cup begins in earnest this weekend with 20 preliminary round, first leg ties across the continent.
Six of the two-leg ties pit newcomers against each other, including Ifeanyi Ubah of Nigeria versus Al Masry of Egypt.
The 40 teams will battle to advance into the first round, where 12 seeded clubs – including former winners CS Sfaxien and 2016 Champions League semifinalists ZESCO United – lie in wait.
Some of the heavyweights in action this weekend include two-time African champions JS Kabylie of Algeria, who face Liberia’s Monrovia Club Breweries.
South African duo SuperSport United and Platinum Stars will fancy their chances in ties against ASSM Elgeco Plus (Madagascar) and Uniao Desportiva (Mozambique) respectively, while Uganda’s Vipers will be confident ahead of their home match against Volcan Club of the Comoros on Saturday.
There are several regional derbies set to capture the imagination, including all-West African clashes such as AS SONABEL v SC Gagnoa , APEJES Academy v ASC Niarry Tally , RSLAF v Wikki Tourists , and a Southern African derby between Botswana’s Orapa United and Swaziland’s Mbabane Swallows.
The return leg matches will be played on the weekend of 17-19 February.
