Egyptian club Pyramids were the most impressive of five former CAF Champions League winners in first round qualifiers on Sunday, winning 2-0 against Gor Mahia in Kenya.
TP Mazembe from the Democratic Republic also won on the road while South Africans Orlando Pirates, ASEC Mimosas of the Ivory Coast and Algerian side Mouloudia Alger drew away in first legs.
Earlier in the weekend, two other former African champions, Zamalek of Egypt and Club Africain of Tunisia, both won.
Defending champions Mamelodi Sundowns have a bye into the second and final qualifying round. Their likely rivals for a group place are Wiliete of Angola.
Pyramids recently replaced Croatian coach Krunoslav Jurcic with South African Rulani Mokwena, who arrived after stints with clubs in Morocco, Algeria and Libya.
He has made a satisfactory start in Cairo. Pyramids are one of only two clubs with maximum points after three rounds of the Egyptian Premier League.
Becoming champions of Africa and Egypt are his primary goals and they were too strong for Gor in Nairobi, where Walid El Karti and Mahmoud Saber scored before halftime.
Mazembe left it late to overcome Medeama in Ghana with Lise Ntumba netting on 87 minutes for a 1-0 victory.
Pirates were surprisingly held to a 0-0 draw by debutants La Cure Waves in Mauritius and Mouloudia also had to settle for a goalless draw, against Nigelec in Niger.
ASEC trailed for 20 minutes of the first half at ASC Kara in Togo before Ben Kouyate equalised with halftime approaching.
Return matches are set for September 10-13.