Africa's second tier club competition marks a return for the group stage with some CAF Confederation Cup predictions that'll dazzle your mind as your favourite teams seek to conquer Africa this 2023/24 season.
The group stage draw for the CAF Confederation Cup brought some tantalizing pairings, and we have some big third group stage games which are set to get underway this weekend.
The draws were conducted by former South Africa and Mamelodi Sundowns star Hlompho Kekana and Zambia AFCON winner Rainford Kalaba in Johannesburg last month, giving us four intriguing groups from the remaining 16 teams.
The fixtures for the group stage began on 26 November, and we anticipate excitement and drama as the battle to reach the knockout phase gets tougher.
With several giants of African club football in the mix, the CAF Confederation Cup predictions 2023 are set for thrills and shocks right from the onset.
Let's delve into the predictions for the various groups!
CAF Confederation Cup predictions for Group A
In Group A, Libyan outfit Al Hilal was drawn alongside South African side SuperSport United, Future FC of Egypt, and reigning champion USM Alger of Algeria.
Considering how difficult playing North African opponents have been over the years, it'll be a tough road to navigate for SuperSport United.
Predictions: USM Alger and Future FC to go through.
CAF Confederation Cup predictions for Group B
The 2019 winners of this competition, Zamalek, will face a tough Group B pairing of Angola's Sagrada Esperança, Guinea's SOAR, and Libyan side Abu Salim.
However, based on history and the club's strength, Zamalek are overwhelming favourites to top the group with Abu Salim the likely group runners-up.
Predictions: Zamalek and Abu Salim to qualify.
CAF Confederation Cup predictions for Group C
Tunisian outfit Club Africain will face stiff opposition to finish as group leaders from Nigeria's Rivers United who were quarter-finalists last season. Ghana's Dreams FC and Angola's APC Lobito make up the other two teams in Group C.
Predictions: Club Africain and Rivers United to qualify.
CAF Confederation Cup predictions for Group D
RS Berkane of Morocco will take on Congolese team DC Motema Pembe, Malian side Stade Malien and South Africa's Sekhukhune United in Group D.
While this group can go either way, we fancy the Moroccan and South African sides to seal progression.
Predictions: RS Berkane and Sekhukhune United to reach the knockout phase.
CAF Confederation Cup predictions for Wednesday, 20th December
There will be eight matches played on Wednesday 10th December, and these are some of our favourite predictions:
Al Hilal Benghazi to beat Supersport United
Supersport United's CAF Confederation Cup campaign has not gone as well as they had hoped. They find themselves at the bottom of the Group A table, with three losses in as many group matches.
To be fair, Gavin Hunt's men are coming off a hard-fought 2-1 win over the Moroka Swallows. However, they had lost five consecutive matches before that victory, failing to score on three occasions.
By comparison, Al Hilal have fared a lot better than their opponents; as they won four of their last six matches, including the reverse fixture of this clash. On that note, we're leaning towards the visitors for the victory.
Rivers United to avoid defeat vs Club Africain
We would like to start by pointing out that these teams squared off against each other just over a week ago, and Rivers United came out on top by a lone goal. Stanley Eguma's men have enjoyed some fine form lately, winning four of their last five matches across all competitions.
On the other hand, Club Africain have been going through a rough patch recently; as they've lost back-to-back games, scoring no goals in the process. Taking everything into account, we are fairly confident that Rivers United will not lose this match.
Stade Malien vs Sekhukhune United to produce less than two goals
It may interest you to know that these teams met earlier this month, and they played out a goalless draw between them. Although both teams registered over 10 shots each, neither side got more than two shots on target.
That said, Stade Malien have been very solid defensively; as they did not concede any goals in their last three games. On the other hand, Sekhukhune United kept two clean sheets in their last three matches, and their last two games went below the 1.5 goal line. For these reasons, we're taking the under 1.5 goals option.
This article was most recently revised and updated 12 months ago
