nigeriasport.ng

CAF Confederation Cup Draw Sets Favourable Paths for Heavyweights

The road to the 2026–2027 CAF Confederation Cup began in Cairo on Thursday, and for Africa’s established giants, it could hardly have opened more gently.

Inside CAF headquarters, the draw for the two preliminary rounds set the tone for a campaign that will feature 56 clubs, a packed calendar, and a clear financial incentive: 4 million dollars for the champions and 100,000 dollars in solidarity money even for those who fall at the first hurdle.

Giants Step In Late, But Well Protected

Eight clubs, protected by their continental ranking, skip the first preliminary round and walk straight into the second: Al Ahly of Egypt, Azam of Tanzania, USM Alger and CR Belouizdad of Algeria, Raja and AS FAR of Morocco, Maniema Union of DR Congo, and Kaizer Chiefs of South Africa.

For them, the draw delivered comfort as much as clarity.

Al Ahly, Africa’s historic powerhouse, will not know their first opponents until Mogadishu City of Somalia and Kitara of Uganda settle their two-legged tie. Whoever emerges will then face a club that treats this competition as routine business rather than adventure.

Raja of Morocco will meet the winner between El Kanemi Warriors of Nigeria and Oudjeb of Benin, while fellow Moroccan heavyweights AS FAR await the qualifier from ASBSI of Chad against Kokoroko of Ivory Coast. Both Rabat and Casablanca will quietly fancy their chances of navigating those openers without drama.

USM Alger, the defending champions after edging Zamalek of Egypt on penalties in the last final, were also handed a manageable start. They will face the winner of Panthers of Ethiopia v ASPAC of Benin. CR Belouizdad, Algeria’s other seeded side, are paired with the winner of Douanes of Burkina Faso v Hafia Conakry of Guinea.

Azam of Tanzania, another of the exempted eight, will meet whoever comes through the tie between ZED of Egypt and Ittihad Djibouti. Maniema Union must wait for the winner of University of Namibia v Kabuscorp de Palanca of Angola, while Kaizer Chiefs will face the survivor of Red Arrows of Zambia v FC Rouge of Congo.

The heavyweights are in. The jeopardy, at least early on, belongs to others.

First Preliminary Round: 48 Clubs, 24 Battles

Before the giants enter, 48 clubs will fight across 24 first preliminary round ties, home and away, for the right to join them in the second stage and complete a 32-team field.

The pairings stretch across the continent:

  • Mogadishu City of Somalia v Kitara of Uganda
  • ZED of Egypt v Ittihad Djibouti
  • Al Hilal Al Sahel of Sudan v Welwalo Adigrat of Ethiopia
  • KMKM of Zanzibar v Al Ahly Tripoli of Libya
  • Al Ahly Madani of Sudan v Tusker of Kenya
  • Al Ghazala Wau of South Sudan v Singida Black Stars of Tanzania
  • Panthers of Ethiopia v ASPAC of Benin
  • ASBSI of Chad v Kokoroko of Ivory Coast
  • Douanes of Burkina Faso v Hafia Conakry of Guinea
  • El Kanemi Warriors of Nigeria v Oudjeb of Benin
  • FC Amadou Diallo of Ivory Coast v East End Lions of Sierra Leone
  • Shooting Stars of Nigeria v CS Sfaxien of Tunisia
  • Mostakbal Gabes of Tunisia v Diambars of Senegal
  • Vitesse of Burkina Faso v Real Bamako of Mali
  • Diarra of Mali v Nations of Ghana
  • AS Sam of Niger v ASKO Kara of Togo
  • University of Namibia (UNAM) v Kabuscorp de Palanca of Angola
  • Red Arrows of Zambia v FC Rouge of Congo
  • Durban City of South Africa v Rukinzo of Burundi
  • Port Louis 2000 of Mauritius v Jwaneng Galaxy of Botswana
  • Panthere Sportive (Central Africa) v Rayon Sport of Rwanda
  • Atomique du Niger v Black Bulls of Mozambique
  • DC Virunga of DR Congo v Bazar Brothers of Seychelles
  • Green Mamba of Eswatini v Primeiro de Agosto of Angola

There are no easy miles here. Some ties carry pedigree and history, others the raw ambition of clubs trying to write their first real line in continental competition.

Shooting Stars v CS Sfaxien stands out as a meeting of two clubs familiar with the demands of African football. Tusker of Kenya travel to Al Ahly Madani of Sudan knowing that one good away performance could tilt the entire tie. And across the board, every side knows that even an early exit comes with a 100,000-dollar cushion from CAF’s solidarity scheme.

Second Preliminary Round: Seeds Await Their Prey

Once those 24 winners are known, the second preliminary round will lock in the final 16 group-stage spots. The ties are already mapped out:

  • Winner Mogadishu City v Kitara v Al Ahly of Egypt
  • Winner ZED v Ittihad Djibouti v Azam of Tanzania
  • Winner Al Hilal Al Sahel v Welwalo Adigrat v winner KMKM v Al Ahly Tripoli
  • Winner Al Ahly Madani v Tusker v winner Al Ghazala Wau v Singida Black Stars
  • Winner Panthers v ASPAC v USM Alger of Algeria
  • Winner ASBSI v Kokoroko v AS FAR of Morocco
  • Winner Douanes v Hafia Conakry v CR Belouizdad of Algeria
  • Winner El Kanemi Warriors v Oudjeb v Raja of Morocco
  • Winner FC Amadou Diallo v East End Lions v winner Shooting Stars v CS Sfaxien
  • Winner Mostakbal Gabes v Diambars v winner Vitesse v Real Bamako
  • Winner Diarra v Nations v winner AS Sam v ASKO Kara
  • Winner University of Namibia v Kabuscorp de Palanca v Maniema Union of DR Congo
  • Winner Red Arrows v FC Rouge v Kaizer Chiefs of South Africa
  • Winner Durban City v Rukinzo v winner Port Louis 2000 v Jwaneng Galaxy
  • Winner Panthere Sportive v Rayon Sport v winner Atomique du Niger v Black Bulls
  • Winner DC Virunga v Bazar Brothers v winner Green Mamba v Primeiro de Agosto

The bracket hints at some fascinating potential clashes. A winner emerging from Shooting Stars v CS Sfaxien could immediately be thrown into another demanding tie against either FC Amadou Diallo or East End Lions. Kaizer Chiefs, backed by one of the continent’s most passionate fanbases, will expect to impose themselves once they discover whether Red Arrows or FC Rouge stand in their way.

For USM Alger, the draw offers a clear message: the title defence starts with a tie they will be expected to control. For Al Ahly, Raja, AS FAR and the rest of the seeded clubs, the objective is simple—avoid early stumbles, reach the group stage, and then let their stature do the talking.

The Calendar: A Long March to May

CAF has laid out a demanding but structured schedule.

First preliminary round first legs run from 4 to 6 September 2026, with return legs between 11 and 13 September. The second preliminary round follows in October: first legs from 16 to 18, return legs from 23 to 25.

From there, the competition settles into a group-stage rhythm:

  • Matchday one: 27–29 November 2026
  • Matchday two: 4–6 December 2026
  • Matchday three: 18–20 December 2026
  • Matchday four: 8–10 January 2027
  • Matchday five: 15–17 January 2027
  • Matchday six: 22–24 January 2027

The knockout rounds then sharpen the focus:

  • Quarter-finals: first leg 26–28 February 2027, return leg 5–7 March
  • Semi-finals: first leg 9–11 April 2027, return leg 16–18 April
  • Final: to be staged between 9 and 31 May 2027, with the exact date still to be confirmed

By the time the trophy is lifted in late May, clubs will have crossed borders, climates, and time zones, chasing the same prize: continental silverware and the financial boost that comes with it.

For now, though, it starts with 48 clubs in early September, two-legged ties scattered across the continent, and the quiet knowledge that the giants are already waiting in October. The draw has given them a head start; the question is who will fight their way through the chaos to challenge that established order.

Related Articles