Moroccan press reports revealed the exemption of 3 clubs from playing in the first preliminary round of the African Champions League competition in the next season.
According to the Moroccan newspaper Al-Botola, each of South African Sundowns, Tunisian Esperance, alongside Moroccan Nahdat Berkane will be exempted from participating in the preliminary round of the tournament.
The newspaper indicated that this decision comes according to the advanced classification of those clubs, at a time when the rest of the participating clubs will participate in the preliminary round in the normal manner.
Pyramids and Zamalek, Egypt's representatives in the tournament, are no longer among the clubs that will be exempted from the preliminary round in the next season.
The competitions department has finally determined the participation of 61 clubs in the African Champions League after officially settling on August 6 as the date for holding the draw ceremony for the preliminary rounds of the Champions League and Confederation competitions.
CAF had previously decided to hold the draw in the Egyptian capital Cairo, after a period of closing the club competitions program and the federations registering the clubs participating in the Champions League and Confederation Cup.
