CAF Champions League draw raises concerns among Club Africain fans

The CAF Champions League group stage draw has sparked mixed reactions among Club Africain fans, as their team was placed in Group B alongside Zamalek SC, Young Africans, and CR Belouizdad, in a group many have described as the "group of death."

The results came after the draw on Wednesday at the CAF headquarters in Cairo, where the Tunisian league champion found himself facing three opponents who have won domestic titles in their countries, putting him in for a tough test in his quest to reach the knockout stages.

Upon the announcement of the four group compositions, there was a wide reaction from Club Africain fans on social media, as many of them considered that the draw was not in their team's favor and that the road to the Quarter-Final would be tough, especially after the struggles the club faced during the preliminary rounds.

Zamalek SC kick off their campaign.

Club Africain begins its journey in the group stage with a match against Zamalek SC at Cairo Stadium, as part of the first round scheduled between November 27 and 29. This match is highly anticipated by the fans of both teams and its result could have a significant impact on the competition within the group.

Tunisian fans are divided over the timing of the match against Zamalek SC, as some believe that playing away from home at the start of the campaign could give the team a chance to achieve a positive result and gain confidence, while others argue that facing Zamalek SC in Cairo, within a group that includes three strong competitors, increases the difficulty of the task.

A number of Club Africain supporters have expressed their fears about the difficulty of qualifying, especially since the team had to face strong opponents in the preliminary rounds. They overcame Djoliba with an aggregate score of 3-2 in the first round, before eliminating TP Mazembe with a score of 2-1 over the two-legged tie, securing their place in the group stage.

Maher Kanzari prefers geographically close competitors.

On the other hand, not all fans of Club Africain viewed the draw pessimistically, as some supporters believe that facing well-known teams relatively close to Tunisia could be better than enduring long and exhausting trips to different parts of the continent.

This opinion aligns with previous statements from coach Maher Kanzari to Eram News, where he indicated his preference for facing large clubs that are geographically close to Tunisia, in order to avoid the hassle of traveling across the continent, even if some other options may seem technically easier.

Tunisian fans hope that facing Zamalek SC will provide a strong start, as returning with a positive result from Cairo could enhance the club's chances of competing for one of the two qualification spots for the next round.

The matchups add more excitement to the group stage.

Club Africain's matches against their group rivals carry a history of previous encounters, adding to the anticipation for the upcoming Quarter-Final.

The Tunisian team previously eliminated Zamalek SC from the preliminary rounds of the CAF Champions League in 2011, winning 4-2 in Rades before losing 2-1 in Cairo. The two teams also met in the 1997 edition, which featured a group stage format, with each winning their home match 2-0.

Against CR Belouizdad, Club Africain succeeded in securing qualification to the second round of the CAF Confederation Cup in 2017, after winning 2-0 in Tunisia, despite losing 1-0 in Algeria.

In their encounters with Young Africans, Club Africain lost to the Tanzanian team 1-0 in Rades in 2022, after the first leg in Dar es Salaam ended in a goalless draw, as part of the CAF Champions League.

Amidst the difficulty of competition and the history of previous encounters, Club Africain enters the group stage with great ambitions, but they will need to deliver strong performances against their three rivals if they want to secure a place in the knockout rounds.