Al Ahly, Esperance, Wydad and Mamelodi Sundowns are among 11 teams the have booked their place in the CAF Champions League group stages, with five spots remaining.
Ahly kicked off proceedings with a 7-0 aggregate route of Ethiopian champions Saint George, while Pyramids, who finished second in the Egyptian Premier League ousted APR 6-1 on aggregate to join their domestic rivals.
Meanwhile, Africa’s knockout stage regulars, Esperance overcame a difficult challenge of AS Douanes of Burkina Faso with a slender 1-0 lead.
Last season’s runners-up Wydad beat Guinea giants Haifa 4-1 on aggregate while Sundowns, whom they kicked out at the semi-final stage last season beat Bumamuru 6-0.
Former Marumo Gallants and AmaZulu boss Romain Folz suffered an early exit with his new side Horoya AC and Ghana Premier League side Medeama made history with their first-ever qualification for this stage of the competition with a 4-3 win over their two-legged tie.
Lowest ranked side Jwaneng Galaxy of Botswana will be seeded in Pot 4 at the eventual draw after beating Orlando Pirates 5-4 on penalties on Friday evening, while Nasredine Nabbi’s AS FAR were knocked out by Etoile du Sahel after losing 3-1 on aggregate.
Group stage participants thus far:
- Al Ahly
- Wydad
- Esperance
- Mamelodi Sundowns
- Pyramids
- Petro de Luanda
- TP Mazembe
- Young Africans
- Etoile du Sahel
- Jwaneng Galaxy
- Medeama
