Orlando Pirates Drawn with Al Ahly in CAF Champions League

The draw for the group stage of the 2024-25 CAF Champions League has placed Orlando Pirates in Group C with defending champions Al Ahly, CR Belouizdad from Algeria, and Stade d'Abidjan from Côte d'Ivoire. Al Ahly, the record 12-time winners, are favorites in the group but have had inconsistent performances in recent pool stages. The top two teams from each group will advance to the quarter-finals, which adds pressure on all teams involved. South African side Mamelodi Sundowns will compete in Group B against Moroccan clubs Raja Casablanca and AS FAR, as well as Maniema Union from the Democratic Republic of Congo. The group stage kicks off on November 26-27, with the final matches scheduled for January 17-18. Pirates and Ahly previously met in the 2013 final, where Ahly won 2-0, but Pirates hold a favorable record in their overall encounters.