AFRICAN CHAMPIONS LEAGUE 2018 - GROUP STAGE - 1ST MATCHES - DRAW

AFRICAN CHAMPIONS LEAGUE 2018Embed from Getty Images

Sixteen teams are fighting to win this Confederation of African Fooball's (CAF) Champions League trophy

Holders Wydad Casablanca of Morocco have pulled debutants AS Port of Togo in the Confederation of African Football's Champions League draws.

They are in Group C with 2016 winners Mamelodi Sundowns of South Africa and Horoya of Guinea.

With this draw, it means the last two winners of the African Champions League, holders Wydad Casablanca and 2016 winners Mamelodi Sundowns, will go up against each other on the opening weekend of the group phase of the competition.

The South African club will host Wydad in Pretoria on either May 5 or 6 as the group campaign begins in what is expected to be a tight competition.

"We beat them at home, they beat us on return. 

They won on penalties and went on to win the title. 

Both teams want to know who is better," Sundowns coach Pitso Mosimane said after the draw.

"Wydad are the current champions but we have also won it before. It will be interesting to play them," he added.

Wednesday's draw also produced exciting match-ups on the opening weekend with record-winners Al Ahly of Egypt, who were runners-up last year, hosting rivals Esperance of Tunisia in Group A.

This group also includes debutants Uganda's Kampala City Council Authority (KCCA) and Botswana's Township Rollers.

Group B sees two former winners, TP Mazembe of the Democratic Republic of Congo (2015) and Entente Setif of Algeria (2014), open their campaign against each other. Mouloudia Alger of Algeria and Difaa El Jadidi of Morocco are also in this group.

In Group D, Etoile du Sahel of Tunisia will face Angola's Primeiro de Agosto, Zesco United of Zambia, as well as newcomers Mbabane Swallows of Swaziland.

The group phase kicks off on the weekend of May 4-6.

A second round of matches will be played midweek on May 15-16.

Champions League groups:

Group A: 
Al Ahly (Egypt)
Township Rollers (Botswana)
KCCA (Uganda)
Esperance de Tunis (Tunisia)

GROUP B: 
TP Mazembe (DR Congo)
Mouloudia Alger (Algeria)
Difaa El Jadidi (Morocco)
Entente Setif (Algeria)

Group C: 
AS Port of Togo (Togo)
Mamelodi Sundowns (South Africa)
Wydad Casablanca (Morocco)
Horoya (Guinea)

Group D: 
Zesco United (Zambia)
Primeiro de Agosto (Angola)
Etoile du Sahel (Tunisia)
Mbabane Swallows (Swaziland)