TP Mazembe will play Ugandan side Viper SC in the second preliminary round of the 2022/23 CAF Champions League.
The Congolese heavyweights were exempted from the initial round of the annual competition as they are among the top-ranked teams.
Last season, the five-time African champions crashed out of the competition in the first round at the hands of Amazulu.
Vipers were paired with Olympique Real de Bangui in the first preliminary round. They started the campaign away on September 11 in Congo-Brazzaville and gained a massive advantage after emerging 3-0 victors.
In that particular encounter Lumala Abdu scored the opener on the stroke of the halftime before Najib Yiga netted the second in the 55th minute of the match. Isa Mubiru placed the icing on the cake with three minutes remaining to the end of the match.
In the second meeting played on September 17 in Kampala, Yunus Sentamu scored the lone goal in the 18th minute to ensure the Venoms advanced 4-0 on aggregate.
TP Mazembe will start their first leg away at St Mary’s Kitende on October 15, with the second leg set to be played a week later at Mazembe Stadium in Lubumbashi.
The Ravens were eliminated by South African side Amazulu in the first round on aggregate. However they dropped to CAF Confederation Cup where they were eliminated in the quarterfinals by winners RS Berkane.
The aggregate winner between TP Mazembe and Vipers will advance to the group stages with the loser dropping to the second-tier competition.
CAF Champions League first round fixtures:
Rivers United (Nigeria) – Wydad AC (Morocco)
Plateau United (Nigeria) – EST (Tunisia)
ASN Nigelec (Niger) – Raja CA (Morocco)
US Monastir (Tunisia) – Al Ahly SC (Egypt)
Vipers SC (Uganda) – TP Mazembe (DR Congo)
Volcan Moroni/La Passe – Mamelodi Sundowns (South Africa)
ASEC Mimosas (Côte d’Ivoire) – Horoya AC (Guinea)
ASKO de Kara (Togo) – JS Kabylie (Algeria)
CD Mongomo/Djoliba AC – CR Belouizdad (Algeria)
Young Africans (Tanzania) – Al Hilal (Sudan)
Al Merreikh (Sudan) – Al Ahli Tripoli (Libya)
Flambeau du Centre (Burundi) – Elect/Zamalek
Cape Town City (South Africa) – Petro Atletico (Angola)
Primeiro de Agosto (Angola) – Simba SC (Tanzania)
Royal Leopards (Eswatini) – Coton Sport (Cameroon)
Rail Club de Kadiogo (Burkina Faso) – AS Vita Club (DR Congo)
