The 2017 CAF Confederation Cup resumes this weekend with 15 playoffs matches, first-leg encounters slated to be played across the continent.
Saturday afternoon all action will get underway with five matches, starting with Madagascar’s CNaPS Sport hosting Angolan side Recreativo do Libolo in Antananarivo and concluding with CF Mounana of Gabon looking to secure a decent home result against Ivorian giants ASEC Mimosas in Libreville.
Uganda’s KCCA will tackle Al-Masry from Egypt and South African side Bidvest Wits will fight things out with another Egyptian outfit Smouha SC.
Sunday is another busy day in the continent, with 10 more exciting matches played from early afternoon through to late evening.
The pick of the matches sees defending champions TP Mazembe of the DR Congo host Algeria’s tough-to-beat JS Kabylie in Lubumbashi. TP Mazembe are aiming to repeat last season’s feat of winning the Confederation Cup after a demotion from the Champions League.
Other highlights include Rail Kadiogo of Burkina Faso, who will meet CS Sfaxien of Tunisia, winners of the Confederation Cup a record three times.
Zesco are away to Nigerian top flight side Enugu Rangers, whose lone Caf success came 40 years ago in the now defunct African Cup Winners Cup.
Moroccan derby is between FUS Rabat and Maghreb Fez, both former Confederation Cup title-holders.
South African sides Platinum Stars and SuperSport United, both are out in West Africa to face AS Tanda of the Ivory Coast and Liberia’s Barrack Young Controllers respectively.
The second leg matches for the 15 ties will be played next weekend.
All Playoff winners advance to the group stage, starting next month.
Meanwhile, The Rivers United v Rayon Sports tie will be played a week out of sequence, with the first leg on April 15 followed by the return game on April 22.
CAF Confederation Cup playoff, first leg fixtures
TP Mazembe won the Confederation Cup for the first time last season
Saturday 8 April
CNaPS Sports v Recreativo do Libolo
Bidvest Wits v Smouha SC
Young Africans v MC Alge
KCCA v Al-Masry
CF Mounana v ASEC Mimosas
Sunday 9 April
AS Tanda v Platinum Stars
AS Port Louis 2000 v Club Africain
Rail Club de Kadiogo v CS Sfaxien
AC Leopards v Mbabane Swallows
TP Mazembe v JS Kabylie
Gambia Ports Authority v Al Hilal Al-Ubayyid
Enugu Rangers v Zesco United
Horoya AC v IR Tanger
Barrack Young Controllers v SuperSport United
FUS Rabat v Maghreb Fez
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