CAF Confederation Cup draw sets up giants against hopefuls

The road to the 2026–2027 CAF Confederation Cup began to take shape in Cairo on Thursday, as the confederation drew the two preliminary rounds and quietly handed the continent’s heavyweights a favourable launchpad.

Fifty-six clubs will chase the trophy and its 4 million dollar prize. Only eight of them, the elite by CAF’s ranking, have been spared the chaos of the first preliminary round. The rest must fight from the very first whistle in September.

Giants step in late, but watch closely

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 all skip the opening hurdle. Their campaigns start in the second preliminary round, where the competition begins to tighten and reputations come under scrutiny.

Al Ahly, Africa’s historic benchmark, will not know their first opponents until Mogadishu City of Somalia and Kitara of Uganda settle their tie. On paper, the Egyptians will be overwhelming favourites. In reality, a long away trip into unfamiliar territory awaits whoever emerges, and that is precisely where upsets are born.

Raja’s path is similarly framed. The Moroccan club, with its continental pedigree, will meet the winner of El Kanemi Warriors of Nigeria v Oudjeb of Benin. AS FAR lie in wait for the victor between ASBSI of Chad and Kokoroko of Ivory Coast, another pairing that promises raw, physical football before the glamour tie arrives.

USM Alger, the defending champions after edging Zamalek of Egypt on penalties in last season’s final, have been handed a measured start. They will face whoever comes through Panthers of Ethiopia v ASPAC of Benin. CR Belouizdad, Algeria’s other powerhouse in the draw, are set to meet the winner of Douanes of Burkina Faso v Hafia Conakry of Guinea.

Azam, Tanzania’s flagbearer among the seeded eight, will take on the winner of ZED of Egypt v Ittihad Djibouti. Kaizer Chiefs, eager to turn domestic stature into continental silverware, will enter against the winner of Red Arrows of Zambia v FC Rouge of Congo. Maniema Union of DR Congo, the last of the exempt clubs, will meet the winner of University of Namibia (UNAM) v Kabuscorp de Palanca of Angola.

The big names have room to breathe. The smaller ones have a chance to make noise.

First preliminary round: 48 clubs, 24 battles

Before any of those giants kick a ball, 48 teams will contest 24 ties over two legs in the first preliminary round. The stakes are clear: survive, and you join the eight seeded clubs in a 32-team second preliminary round. Fall, and you leave with only a 100,000 dollar solidarity payment from CAF’s support policy.

The schedule is unforgiving. First legs run from 4 to 6 September 2026, with return fixtures a week later, from 11 to 13 September.

The draw has thrown up an intriguing spread of regional duels and long-haul journeys:

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

Some ties leap off the page. Shooting Stars v CS Sfaxien carries the feel of a group-stage fixture dropped into the preliminary rounds. Diarra v Nations has the flavour of a West African arm wrestle. Durban City’s meeting with Rukinzo sets up a South African club with continental ambitions against stubborn opposition from Burundi.

Every winner here earns the right to test themselves against a higher tier of opponent. Every loser goes home early, wondering what might have been.

Second preliminary round: where the hierarchy bites back

Once the dust settles on the opening phase, the second preliminary round will roll in between 16 and 18 October for the first legs, followed by returns from 23 to 25 October. By then, the field will be trimmed to 32, and the bracket will begin to resemble a continental contest rather than a regional sprawl.

The pairings are already mapped out:

• Winner Mogadishu City v Kitara v Al Ahly (Egypt)
• Winner ZED v Ittihad Djibouti v Azam (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 (Algeria)
• Winner ASBSI v Kokoroko v AS FAR (Morocco)
• Winner Douanes v Hafia Conakry v CR Belouizdad (Algeria)
• Winner El Kanemi Warriors v Oudjeb v Raja (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 (DR Congo)
• Winner Red Arrows v FC Rouge v Kaizer Chiefs (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

This is the stage where the draw starts to feel unforgiving. One misstep and a heavyweight can be gone before the group phase even begins. One inspired fortnight and a previously unknown side can suddenly find itself staring at a group-stage calendar stretching into January.

A long, demanding calendar

CAF has laid out a dense schedule that will test depth, travel planning, and nerve.

After the October second preliminary round, the group stage begins:

• Matchday 1: 27–29 November 2026
• Matchday 2: 4–6 December 2026
• Matchday 3: 18–20 December 2026
• Matchday 4: 8–10 January 2027
• Matchday 5: 15–17 January 2027
• Matchday 6: 22–24 January 2027

Then come the knockout rounds, where the margin for error narrows to a single bad night:

• Quarter-finals: first legs 26–28 February 2027, returns 5–7 March 2027
• Semi-finals: first legs 9–11 April 2027, returns 16–18 April 2027
• Final: to be played between 9 and 31 May 2027, on a date still to be confirmed

From early September to late May, the Confederation Cup will stretch across the continent, from Eswatini to Tunisia, from Seychelles to Morocco. USM Alger hold the trophy for now, but by the time the final whistle blows in May 2027, one question will hang over the competition:

Can the established powers keep a grip on Africa’s second-tier crown, or will one of these September hopefuls turn a preliminary-round draw in Cairo into a story that ends with silverware?