Zesco United go into Thursday’s Caf African Champions League draws in Cairo seeded in pot three.
Eight teams will go into the lunchtime draws in Cairo and they are Etoile du Sahel (Tunisia), TP Mazembe(DR Congo), Al Hilal, El Merreikh (Both Sudan), Kano Pillars, Heartland (Both Nigeria), Monomotapa (Zimbabwe) and Zesco (Zambia).
The teams will be paired in in groups of four who will play each other on home and away basis in the mini-group phase that will run from July 17 to September 20 for four semifinal places ahead of the last four matches to be played in October.
According to Caf, all eight teams were seeded according to their performances in all Caf club competitions over the last five years on points calculated by continents football governing body.
In Pot A will be, as expected, led by 2007 African champions and two-time runners-up in the same competition Etoile du Sahel and joining them are El Merreikh on 59 and 22 points respectively.
The first team drawn from Pot A will lead group A and the other Group B.
Pot B will comprise of TP Mazembe and Al Hilal, both with 18 points, with the first team drawn going into Group A while the other plays in Group B.
And so the possibility of the first-ever Sudan derby in the group stage of the African Champions League is likely.
Pot C will have Zesco, Pillars, Heartland and Monomotapa, all with no points, will be drawn to take each of the last two places in either Group A or B.
The match sequences will also be determined from the final draws at the same juncture.
Meanwhile, Etoile will be the only North African club in the competition for the first time since 1997 while their will be five group stage debutants.
Zesco, Monomotapa, Heartland (formerly Iwuanyanwu Nationale), El Merreikh, Pillars will all be making their group stage debuts.
Keep it up Zesco!! Wishing you good luck.
good luck. hope u wont get a ref like chelsea did
That chelsea ref was crazy!!!! He needs medical check up
Wishing ZESCO all the best. I agree with Jamaco, that ref was full of crap. Sembe banaponona kuli Drogba.
Go Zesco go!!!!!!We are with u anbd we like u guys!!!All the best!!!Cup yesu!!!!!!!!!
Zesco will be on very high voltage come Al who, El wat, Et du you, TPM rhumba, Tsvangirai boiz, or indeed the Super Story dou! Refereez decisionz are not alwez the best; they still remain fianl and must be respected.Ballack and Drogba’s behavior waz totally uncalled for, they risk FIFA reprimand.
Go Go zesco, go and conqure. Mulinjanji.
Yesturdays ref was a bustered