Tusker draws Port Louis, Ulinzi to tackle Libyan side

Kenyan Premier League champions Tusker FC will take on AS Port Louis of Mauritius in the preliminary round of the Confederation of African Football (Caf) Champions League according to a draw conducted in Cairo, Egypt on Wednesday.

Their Kenyan counterparts, Ulinzi Stars, travel to the North Africa for their opening game of the Caf Confederation Cup to tackle Libyan side Hilal Benghazi.

Tusker will play hosts in the opening tie of their two-legged fixture against their opponents between February 10 and 12 with the return leg fixture planned for February 17-19 at the St Francis Xavier Stadium in Port Louis.

New Head Coach Ugandan George ‘Best’ Nsimbe faces an uphill task of having the Brewers adapt to his ways ahead of their tie against the Mauritian club making a return to the continent’s premier club competition for the first time in four years.

They have won the Mauritian Premier League six times and two domestic Cup titles with their 2003 feat of reaching the second round of the CAF Champions League a highlight of their achievements in the level.

The aggregate winner of this tie will meet Sudanese giants Al Hilal in the first round a month later. The first leg of the first round clash will be played away in Sudan between March 10 and 12 with the return game set for a week later.

The winners of the CAF Champions League will walk away with KSh255.7m with runners-up collecting half as much in prize money. Semi-finalists will win USD875,000 while quarter-finalists will bag USD650,000 with third and fourth in the group stages taking home USD550,000.

Prize money for CAF Confederation Cup: Winners: USD1.25 million, runners-up: USD625,000, semi-finalists: USD450,000, quarter-finalists: USD350,000, third, fourth in groups: USD275,000

Clubs eliminated at the last-32 stage of qualifying get a second shot at African glory by dropping to the Confederation Cup, which star-studded Mazembe won this season.