Orlando Pirates will keep their eyes wide open upon the start of the forthcoming FIFA calendar dates as they join the continent's elite clubs.
Pirates will join serial participants Mamelodi Sundowns when the bell rings for the CAF Champions League group stage on Monday.
READ: Report card on expensive Downs loanee
CAF has confirmed that the Champions League group stage draw will take place in Cairo, Egypt (14:00), an hour after the Confederation Cup draw, which will feature Stellenbosch FC.
Bucs will join the continent's top 16 clubs straight after the MTN8 final on Saturday, where R10 million is on offer.
The route of their continental path will start as one of four teams in Pot 3, which means they will be grouped with one team from each of Pot 1, 2 and 3.
Pot 1 has Al Ahly (Egypt), Esperance (Tunisia), Mamelodi Sundowns and TP Mazembe (DR Congo), Pot 2 features CR Belouizdad (Algeria), Raja Casablanca (Morocco), Young Africans (Tanzania) and Pyramids (Egypt), while Pot 4 has MC Alger (Algeria), Djoliba (Mali), AS Maniema Union (DR Congo) and Stade d'Abidjan (Cote d'Ivoire).
Just like Sundowns, Pirates are already guaranteed USD700 000 (approx. R12,15 million), which is paid out for finishing third and fourth in the group.
READ | BREAKING: New club for Nurkovic...
The quarterfinal purse is at USD900 000 (approx. R15,6 million), while the semi-finalists get USD1,2 million (approx. R20,8 million), runners-up USD2 million (approx. R34,72 million) and champions USD4 million (approx. R69,44 million).
Should Pirates lift the MTN8 on Saturday, then they will have a total of R22 million in the bag already.