Five-time CAF Champions League winners TP Mazembe will begin their quest to qualify for the group stages of the 2024-25 CAF Champions League without playing a domestic league match.
The Ravens will take on Zambian champions Red Arrows in the second preliminary round, with the first leg slatted for Saturday at Levy Mwanawasa Stadium in Ndola.
The Airmen are seeking to qualify for the group stages for the first time.
Red Arrows dispatched Malawian champions Nyasa Big Bullets to set up a date against Mazembe, as they have also enjoyed a good start to the new season with two wins and a draw in their first three matches.
Mazembe yet to commence league games
The DR Congo LinaFoot league is yet to commence, with the governing body announcing that it will start in the last week of the month.
“Correspondence from the Linafoot secretariat indicates that the start of the Ligue 1 championship is set for the weekend of September 27, 28, and 29, as well as October 10 for Ligue 2,” TP Mazembe media revealed.
Meanwhile, the fixtures are expected to be released this Thursday, September 12th.
The new season is expected to be played in two zones, with the number of competing teams yet to be revealed by the league management.
TP Mazembe, who recently unveiled the signing of enterprising Malawian midfielder Patrick Mwaungulu, 22, from Nyasa Big Bullets on a 2-year deal with an option to extend by another 12 months.
In anticipation of seeing the team in action during an official match, groups of TP Mazembe fans are mobilising to travel from neighbouring DR Congo to follow the match up close.
The return leg in Lubumbashi will take place on Saturday, September 21st with the overall winner qualifying to the stage of the CAF Champions League.
Meanwhile, Mazembe or Red Arrows will secure a whopping USSD 700,000 from CAF if they advanced to the group stage.
TOTALENERGIES CAF CHAMPIONS LEAGUE PRIZE MONEY
– Position | Prize Money
– Winner | USD 4,000,000
– Runner-up | USD 2,000,000
– Semi-Finalists | USD 1,200,000
– Quarterfinalists | USD 900,000
– 3rd of Group | USD 700,000
– 4th of Group | USD 700,000
