While Kaizer Chiefs will have to win the Champions League to re-enter the competition next season, four of their six opponents this term have all but secured their return next season.
For Chiefs to play in the Champions League again next season they must overcome Al Ahly on July 17 in Casablanca and enter the 2021/22 competition by virtue of being holders.
Chiefs' semi-final victims Wydad Casablanca have opened a 11-points lead over rivals Raja Casablanca who have switched their focus to the CAF Confederations Cup for which they are in the final against Algerian club JS Kabyile on Saturday in Benin.
Four games remain in the Moroccan Botola Pro League with Wydad in need of just another victory to seal their 21st title.
For Simba SC, whom Amakhosi knocked out in the quarterfinals, it is a familiar story in Tanzania. Though they lost to Young Africans in the blood and thunder Kariakoo derby last Saturday, it is still advantage Wekundu wa Msimbazi on the log standings.
Simba need just one more win from their three games remaining to be crowned champions for the fourth consecutive season and return to Champions League football next season.
Horoya – the last hurdle Chiefs had to go past to get into the last eight – are already champions of Guinea's Ligue One, again having won the league by a comfortable 12 points at the end of last month.
Chiefs' other group stage opponents Petro de Luanda are leading the standings in Angola with three games remaining. To retain the title, they need to win all their remaining games and hope that second placed Sagrada Esperanca drop points in one of their last four games.
Fellow Angolan club Primeiro de Agosto – who were Chiefs' opponents in the preliminary round – have failed to keep up with the pace in recent weeks and sit third, nine points behind the leaders.
Chiefs' opening round opponents PWD Bameda have lost their footing in Cameroon's Elite One this term, and finished fourth in Group A, failing to reach the championship play-offs.