CAF Champions League 2026–27 Preliminary Draw Set for August 6

The road to the 2026–27 CAF Champions League is about to take shape.

CAF has pencilled in August 6 in Cairo for the preliminary-round draw of Africa’s flagship club competition, according to Moroccan outlet El Botola, which cites an official source inside the CAF Club Competitions Committee. One date, one room in Egypt’s capital, and the first outlines of a new continental campaign will be sketched out.

The draw will come only after the paperwork is done. CAF plans to hold the ceremony once the club registration window closes and national associations sign off on participating squads. No approval, no place in the pots.

Behind the scenes, a bigger battle has already been decided. El Botola reports that CAF has formally rejected a proposal from the Egyptian Football Association to expand the number of clubs in its interclub competitions. The Competitions Committee has opted for continuity, choosing not to tinker with the format for 2026–27 and keeping the current structure intact. The message is clear: evolution can wait; stability wins this round.

For Morocco, the stakes are obvious. RS Berkane and Maghreb de Fès will carry the country’s colours in next season’s Champions League, both eyeing long runs deep into the tournament rather than brief cameos. Their first hurdle will be defined in Cairo, where the preliminary draw will map out the opening fixtures and set the path toward the group stage of Africa’s premier club competition.

On August 6, the continent finds out who has the long road and who gets an early chance to make a statement.