Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) side Enyimba will face Moroccan club Wydad Athletic Club in the quarterfinals of the inaugural edition of the CAF African Football League (AFL).

The AFL is a newly created tournament featuring elite clubs across the continent with a history in the CAF Interclub competitions and will run alongside the two tournaments. 

The eight most prominent teams in Africa will participate in the AFL maiden edition, scheduled to begin in October this year, but the competition will feature the 24 highest-ranked football clubs starting from the 2024/2025 football season.

In the draw conducted in Cairo, Egypt, on Saturday, Enyimba, a two-time winner of the Champions League, is the only Nigerian club in the inaugural edition and will play three-time Champions League winner Wydad AC for a place in the semi-finals.

Champions League most successful club and defending champions Al Ahly SC (11) tango Tanzanian side Simba SC in the quarterfinals, Tunisia’s Esperance of Tunis will play Congolese side TP Mazembe.

South African giant Mamelodi Sundowns will battle Angola’s Atletico Petroleos for a semi-final spot. The semi-final ties will be held between October 29 and November 1, while the two-legged final will take place on November 5 and 11.

Speaking about AFL, FIFA president Gianni Infantino said: “This competition will play a great and effective role in taking African Football to the next level by providing the optimum platform for players and clubs to compete against each other.”

The AFL website will offer live Over-The-Top (“OTT”) access to all AFL matches and supporting feature content to keep fans engaged throughout the entire competition from 3 September 2023 onwards.