The 39th African Cup Winners Clubs Championship will take place between 9 and 18 May in Cairo, Egypt, with nine teams entering the men's competition, while ten sides will make up the women's competition.

The last two winners of the men's competition, Egyptian powerhouses Zamalek and Al Ahly, are both featuring again and vying for the title, with Al Ahly coming in red hot form after securing their ticket to the Men's Super Globe ticket with a 27:24 win over Zamalek in the CAHB African Super Cup on Sunday.

The nine participating teams have been divided into two groups. The first consists of five teams: Egypt's Zamalek, the reigning champions; Morocco's Wydad Smara; DR Congo's Jeunesse Sportive de Kinshasa; Cameroon's FANZ Yaounde and Cote d'Ivoire's Red Star.

The other group has four sides, with Al Ahly being the hot favourites. They will battle for a place in the next round with fellow Egyptian side Sporting Club, Morocco's Raja Agadir and Ethiopia's Kirkos.

The first four sides in each group will progress to the quarter-finals, followed by the semi-finals and the finals, as the title will be awarded on Thursday 18 May.

In the men's competition, MC Alger are the most decorated side with nine wins in their history, followed by Zamalek with six titles, Tunisia's Club Africain with five titles and Al Ahly with four titles.

In the last 13 editions of the Women's African Cup Winners Clubs Championship, it was either Primeiro de Agosto or Petro de Luanda which sealed the title, as the two Angolese sides are also favourites to clinch the trophy after meeting in the CAHB African Super Cup on Sunday.

Petro de Luanda sealed a 29:26 win over their arch-rivals last Sunday and therefore will be considered as favourites here, where they are in Group A alongside Congo's DGSP Brazzaville, Tunisia's CSF Moknine, Egypt's Sporting Club and Cameroon's FANZ Yaounde.

In Group B, Primeiro de Agosto will face Cote d’Ivoire’s Habitat HBC, Egypt’s Al Ahly, Congo’s AS Otoho and Morocco’s US Nouasser. 

Like in the men's competition, the first four sides in each group will progress to the quarter-finals, followed by the semi-finals and the finals, as the title will be awarded on Thursday 18 May.

Suppose Petro de Luanda will win the title this time around. In that case, they will become the most decorated team in the competition's history, now tied with Cote d'Ivoire's Africa Sports National at nine titles each. Primeiro de Agosto are third in these standings with four titles won.