Arizona Tribune - Debutants Berkane among CAF Champions League top seeds

Seedings are based on results in both the Champions League and the second-tier CAF Confederation Cup over the past five seasons.

While Berkane have not been involved the premier African club competition, they reached three Confederation Cup finals during that period, winning two.

The team known as the Orange Boys -- they are based in the northeast citrus-growing region of the kingdom -- accumulated 52 points over the five seasons.

That earned them the final place among the top seeds after record 12-time Champions League winners Al Ahly of Egypt and previous title-holders Mamelodi Sundowns of South Africa and Esperance of Tunisia.

Defending champions Pyramids of Egypt, surprise winners last season with a 3-2 aggregate victory over Sundowns, are among the second seeds.

The line-up for the draw at a TV studio in Johannesburg includes three other former champions -- Mouloudia Alger and JS Kabylie of Algeria and FAR Rabat of Morocco.

ASEC Mimosas and Stade Abidjan of the Ivory Coast and Orlando Pirates were former winners who failed to get past the qualifying phase.

Apart from Berkane, Saint-Eloi Lupopo of the Democratic Republic of Congo, Power Dynamos of Zambia, Rivers United of Nigeria and Stade Malien of Mali have reached the group stage for the first time.

Seeding

CAF Champions League

Pot 1: Al Ahly (EGY), Mamelodi Sundowns (RSA), Esperance (Tunisia), Renaissance Berkane (MAR)

Pot 2: Simba, Young Africans (both TAN), Pyramids (EGY, holders), Al Hilal (SUD)

Pot 3: Petro Luanda (ANG), FAR Rabat (MAR), Mouloudia Alger (ALG), Rivers Utd (NGR)

Pot 4: JS Kabylie (ALG), Stade Malien (MLI), Saint-Eloi Lupopo (COD), Power Dynamos (ZAM)

CAF Confederation Cup

Pot 1: Zamalek (EGY), Wydad Casablanca (MAR), Chabab Belouizdad, USM Alger (both ALG)

Pot 2: Al Masry (EGY), Stellenbosch (RSA), Djoliba (MLI), Maniema Union (COD)

Pot 3: Kaizer Chiefs (RSA), Otoho (CGO)

Pot 4: AZAM, Singida Black Stars (both TAN), ZESCO Utd (ZAM), San Pedro (CIV), Olympique Safi (MAR), Nairobi Utd (KEN)

W.Stewart--AT