The eight teams will know their fate after the draws that are scheduled for Tuesday, 5 at 2 pm UTC+01, Cairo, Egypt. CAF Confederation knockout draws will also be held simultaneously. Four teams will make it to the semi-finals after this round.
Pitso Misomane guided the defending champions Al Ahly to yet another Knock out stage after the South African recorded his name on the history of Al Ahly with two CAF Champions League win at a roll.
Analysis of each of the groups:
Group A
Group A is the formidable group as it contains the defending champions Al Ahly, who have won it back to back twice in a calendar. The group also contains Mamelodi Sundown, the South African giant that has been guided to victory once in 2016 by the current head coach of Al Ahly Pitso Misomane.
Mamelodi Sundown ran an unbeaten streak in the group, winning 5 games with a single draw from all 6 games played. They top the group with 16 maximum points.
Al Ahly’s narrow win in their last game against Al hilal of Sudan flew them higher over their opponent to a 10 points position. They qualified as a runner-up to Mamelodi Sundown and were featured in the knockout stages.
Not Qualified: Al Hilal Educational Club and Al-Merrikh Sporting Club. Both are Sudanese Clubs.
Group B:
Confederation defending Champion Raja Casablanca topped this group with a scintillating performance after six games. The 12th time Bosola Pro1 Champions finished their campaign with 15 points acquired from 5 wins, 1 loss and zero draws.
Algeria giant Es Setif will join Raja Casablanca as a runner-up of group B. Es Setif is not a visitor to this group of the CAF Champions League, as they are one of only three Algerian clubs to have won the CAF Champions League, winning it twice in 1988 and 2014.
Not Qualified: Amazulu Football Club of South Africa and Guinean club Horoya Athletic Club.
Group C:
Tunisia league champions and the most successful team in Tunisia, Tunis De Esperance, reign over this group. Tunis went unbeaten in all 6 games, with 4 wins and two draws.
Algerian Chabab Riadhi de Belouizdad ended the group as runner-up to Tunis, they ended the group with 11 points after securing 3 wins, 2 draws, and 1 loss.
Not Qualified: Étoile Sportive du Sahel of Tunisia failed to advance with a point secured after six games. Botswana Club Jwaneng Galaxy Football Club also failed.
Group D
Botola Pro1 Champions Wydad Athletic Club advanced as the group leader with 5 wins and a draw in 6. The Moroccan side obtained 16 maximum points.
Pedro De Luanda came as a runner-up to Wydad in the group after ensuring 3 wins, 2 draws, and a loss. A total of 11 points.
Not Qualified: Sagrada Esperança of Angola and Zamelek Zamalekt crashed out of the group.
