The Club World Cup draw took place on Monday, determining the paths and potential opponents for African football clubs. Scheduled from December 6 to 16, the competition features TP Mazembe, Esperance, Sunshine Stars, and Al Ahly as the African representatives. The African club, to be crowned in mid-November, will face the winner of a play-off match between the Japanese champion and New Zealand’s Auckland City on December 9.
The victorious team from this encounter will then contend for a place in the final against the Latin American champions, Corinthians. The African club that advances furthest in the competition will emerge from the semi-finalist clubs of the Champions League, with TP Mazembe being the only African club to reach the final in the past.
The draw structure is as follows:
Play-off (6/12 in Yokohama): Japanese champion – Auckland City (NZL)
Quarter-finals:
- Quarter 1 (9/12 at Toyota): Winner of the play-off – African champion
- Quarter 2 (9/12 at Toyota): Asian champion – Monterrey (MEX)
Semi-finals:
- Semi-final 1 (12/12 at Toyota): Winner quarter 1 – Corinthians (BRA)
- Semi-final 2 (13/12 at Yokohama): Winner quarter 2 – Chelsea (ENG)
Matches for Place:
- Match for 5th place (12/12 at Toyota): Loser quarter 2 – loser quarter 1
- Match for 3rd place (16/12 in Yokohama): Loser half 1 – loser half 2
Final (16/12 in Yokohama): Winner half 1 – winner half 2
