Mamelodi Sundowns' seat amongst the top performers on the continent has propelled them to becoming the first South African club to enjoy CAF benefits for the fifth year running.
Sundowns will get a bye in the first qualifying round again for the 2024/25 CAF Champions League, which will have Al Ahly, Young Africans, Raja Casablanca, TP Mazembe, ASFAR and MC Alger amongst the teams taking part.
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The Brazilians have enjoyed the bonus of skipping the first qualifying round since the 2020/21 season when they joined Raja, Wydad Casablanca, Al Ahly, Zamalek, Esperance, TP Mazembe, AS Vita and Horoya in the top tier.
They reached the quarterfinals, with Kaizer Chiefs going all the way to the final after they started from the entry-level round with a trip to Cameroon.
Sundowns have enjoyed the same benefit for the three editions since then.
Being exempted from the first qualifying round is based on the CAF 5-year ranking which gives clubs in the top tier a bye, allowing the lowly ranked teams an opportunity to compete amongst themselves.
Sundowns did not get a bye in the 2019/20 season and had to play from the word go getting past AS Otoho of Congo before dismantling Cote d'Or from Seychelles in the next round.
They will return to the premier club competition on the continent having joined an elite group of clubs that have done double-figure consecutive appearances in the competition.
In the period since the continent's premier club competition moved from the African Cup of Champions Clubs in 1997, Sundowns is now only one of only six clubs that have been into the Champions League at least 10 years in a row.
Al Ahly and Al Hilal have played in the competition for 21 years in a row having both started their long runs in 2004.
Congolese heavyweights TP Mazembe have done 18 in a row and will return next year as they lead the Championship round in DR Congo's Ligue 1.
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Sudanese club Al Merrikh have done 16 years in a row having started their run in 2009 and through that time their best was when they reached the semi-finals nine years ago.
ASEC Mimosas from Cote d'Ivoire were in the competition 11 years in a row from 2001-2011.
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