Chiefs to face Egyptian double act in Confed Cup

Kaizer Chiefs will have to travel twice to the land of the Pharaohs and take on a Southern African rival as they bid to make it out of Group D in the CAF Confederation Cup.

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Cairo giants Zamalek, who have twice won the Confederation Cup, and Port Said-based Al Masry were both drawn alongside Amakhosi, when the draw was conducted yesterday in Johannesburg.

Chiefs get Zesco too

Zambian side Zesco United are the other team in Group D, with the top two sides qualifying for the quarterfinals. The group stages will kick off at the end of this month.

Chiefs have played both Zamelek and Zesco before. Way back in 1993, Chiefs and Zamalek faced off in the second round of the African Cup of Champions Clubs (now known as the Caf Champions League).

Amakhosi won the home leg 2-1, but lost 1-0 away from home, meaning Zamalek progressed on the away goals rule.

Zesco, meanwhile, humbled Chiefs 5-2 on aggregate in the final qualifying round for the group stages of the 2018/19 CAF Confederation Cup.

Zamalek favourites

Zamalek will be the clear favourites to win Group D. The White Knights have won five Caf Champions League titles, though the last did come some 23 years ago. They also won the Confederation Cup in 2019 and in 2024.

Al Masry reached the semfinals of the Confederation Cup in 2018, and the quarterfinals in 2020 and 2022.

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Zesco won last year’s ABSA Cup in Zambia to qualify for the Confederation Cup. The Zambian giants beat Botswana’s Jwaneng Galaxy 5-4 on aggregate to reach this stage of the competition.

Stellenbosch FC, meanwhile, who reached the semifinals of last year’s Confederation Cup, have been drawn with Algerian giants CR Belouizdad, as well as AS Otoho of Congo-Brazzaville and Singida Black Stars of Tanzania in Group C.