Rwandan champions APR FC will face Somalian champions Gaadiidka FC in the first preliminary round of the 2023/24 CAF Champions League. The military side is bent on making it to the group stages of the most prestigious club football competition in Africa but they must first dispatch the Somalian powerhouse. APR will host Gaadidka in the first leg on 18th or 19th August at a yet-to-be-confirmed venue before traveling to Mogadishu for the second encounter on 25th or 26th August. The winner of the tie will progress to the next stage of the qualifiers to play Pyramids FC of Egypt who are exempted from the first phase. APR signed a host of foreign players as they hope to finally get into the money zone of the CAF Champions League. Last season, APR were knocked out of the second round of the competition after a 3-1 aggregate defeat at the hands of Tunisian side US Monastir. US Monastir lost 1-0 the first leg to Huye 1-0 but have sailed through to the next stage of the competition after beating the Rwandan giants 3-0 in the second leg, hence 3-1 on aggregate.
