New African champions Pyramids of Egypt will begin the defence of their Champions League crown in the first round next month, but the team they beat in last season’s final have been granted a bye into the second round.
South Africa’s Mamelodi Sundowns lost 3-2 on aggregate to Pyramids in the final last season, but because of a higher ranking are one of only two clubs given passage into the second round of this season’s competition.
The other is Al Ahly of Egypt, who have won the Champions League a record 12 times and appeared in five of the last six finals, winning four of them.
A record number of 62 entries for the Champions League means only two clubs do not have to compete in the first round, which will be over two legs on the weekends of September 19-21 and September 26–28.
Knockout matches
Two rounds of knockout matches are played to determine the 16 teams who go into the league phase, which will get underway in late November.
