African Confederation Cup 2018 - draw held - 1st + 2nd round - preview

DR Congo's TP Mazembe are the Confederation Cup holders but will play in the African Champions League next year

First Round:

▪ Petro Luanda (Angola) vs Masters Security (Malawi) -:-
▪ Young Buffaloes (Swaziland) vs Cape Town City (South Africa) -:-
▪ Costa do Sol (Mozambique) vs Jwaneng Galaxy (Botswana) -:-
▪ Benin Representative vs Hafia (Guinea) -:-
▪ APR (Rwanda) vs Anse Reunion (Seychelles) -:-
▪ Onze Createurs (Mali) vs Elwa Utd (Liberia) -:-
▪ Leopards (Kenya) vs Fosa Juniors (Madagascar) -:-
▪ Ngazi (Comoros) vs Port Louis (Mauritius) -:-
▪ Mangasport (Gabon) vs Maniema Union (DR Congo) -:-
▪ Olympique Star (Burundi) vs Etoile Filante (Burkina Faso) -:-
▪ New Star (Cameroon) vs Deportivo Niefang (Equatorial Guinea) -:-
▪ Tanda (Ivory Coast) vs La Mancha (Congo) -:-
▪ Akwa Utd (Nigeria) vs Hawks (The Gambia) -:-
▪ Al Ittihad (Libya) vs Sahel (Niger) -:-
▪ Ben Guerdane (Tunisia) vs Al Hilal (South Sudan) -:-
▪ Asante Kotoko (Ghana) vs CARA (Congo) -:-
▪ Djoliba (Mali) vs Belouizdad (Algeria) -:-
▪ Al Masry (Egypt) vs Green Buffaloes (Zambia) -:-
▪ Simba (Tanzania) vs Gendarmerie Nationale (Djibouti) -:-
▪ Berkane (Morocco) vs Mbour Petite-Cote (Senegal) -:-
▪ Africa Sports (Ivory Coast) vs Nouadhibou (Mauritania) -:-
▪ Zimamoto (Zanzibar) vs Welayta Dicha (Ethiopia) -:-

Second round (teams in bold given a bye):

▪ Petro Luanda or Masters Security vs SuperSport Utd (South Africa) -:-
▪ Costa do Sol or Jwaneng Galaxy vs Young Buffaloes or Cape Town City -:-
▪ Benin Representative or Hafia vs Enyimba (Nigeria) -:-
▪ Onze Createurs or Elwa Utd vs APR or Anse Reunion -:-
▪ Ngazi or Port Louis v Leopards vs Fosa Juniors -:-
▪ Mangasport or Maniema Union vs USM Alger (Algeria) -:-
▪ Olympique Star or Etoile Filante vs Al Hilal Obied (Sudan) -:-
▪ DC Motema Pembe (DR Congo) vs New Star or Deportivo Niefang -:-
▪ Tanda or La Mancha vs Al Ahly Shendy (Sudan) -:-
▪ Al Ittihad or Sahel vs Akwa Utd or Hawks -:-
▪ Asante Kotoko or CARA vs Ben Guerdane v Al Hilal -:-
▪ Djoliba or Belouizdad vs Nkana (Zambia) -:-
▪ Simba or Gendarmerie Nationale vs Al Masry or Green Buffaloes -:-
▪ Berkane or Mbour Petite-Cote vs Club Africain (Tunisia) -:-
▪ Raja Casablanca (Morocco) vs Africa Sports or Nouadhibou -:-
▪ Zimamoto or Welayta Dicha vs Zamalek (Egypt) -:-

The 2017 Confederation Cup runners-up SuperSport United face a trip to either Angola or Malawi in the second round of next year's competition.

The South African side were given a bye into the second round of Africa's second-tier club tournament where they will play either Petro Luanda from Angola or Malawi's Masters Security.

The 2017 Confederation Cup was won by DR Congo's TP Mazembe, who will play in next year's African Champions League.

Masters Security, who could be playing in the second division in Malawi next season, must win their final two matches of the season to avoid relegation.

The first round of the Confederation Cup will take place in February with the aggregate winners progressing to March's second round.

Seven other clubs were also given byes, including three former African champions - Egypt's Zamalek, Enyimba of Nigeria and Club Africain of Tunisia.

Algerian club USM Alger, runners-up in 2015, Zambia's Nkana, Raja Casablanca of Morocco, DC Motema Pembe from DR Congo as well as Sudanese duo Al Hilal Obeid and Al Ahly Shendy all skip playing in the first round.

The 16 winners of the second round ties will play the teams who lose at the same stage of the Champions League to decide who will advance to the group stage of the tournament.

A change in the calendar for the Confederation of African Football means that the next Confederation Cup campaign will begin in December 2018 and run through to May 2019.

After the 2019 final, the competition will be held from August or September through to May of the next year.