CAF draws outline 2026-27 Confederation Cup preliminary pairings
The Confederation of African Football (CAF) held the draw for the 2026‑27 CAF Confederation Cup and CAF Champions League on 6 August 2026 in Cairo. Fifty‑six clubs entered the Confederation Cup, with eight top‑ranked sides – including Al Ahly (Egypt), Azam FC (Tanzania), USM Alger and CR Belouizdad (Algeria), Raja CA and AS FAR (Morocco), Maniema Union (DR Congo) and Kaizer Chiefs (South Africa) – receiving byes to the second preliminary round. The remaining clubs were paired for two‑legged ties scheduled for 4‑6 September (first leg) and 11‑13 September (return leg). Notable match‑ups include Al Ahly facing the winner of Somalia’s Mogadishu City vs Uganda’s Kitara FC, Shooting Stars (Nigeria) drawn against three‑time champions CS Sfaxien (Tunisia), El‑Kanemi Warriors (Nigeria) versus UDIB of Guinea‑Bissau, DC Virunga (DR Congo) against Bazar Brothers (Seychelles), and Horoya AC (Guinea) versus JS Saoura (Algeria). The draw also set the path for clubs such as Vitesse FC (Burkina Faso) against AS Réal de Bamako and Rahimo FC (Burkina Faso) against MAS de Fès. In parallel, CAF released its club ranking, placing USM Alger (Algeria) fifth in Africa, with CR Belouizdad and MC Alger also in the top‑20.
These pairings determine the early routes clubs must navigate to reach the group stage, while the rankings influence seeding for future draws.
Entities: AS FAR · Al Ahly · Al Ahly SC · Confederation of African Football · Confederation of African Football (CAF) · DC Virunga · El‑Kanemi Warriors · Horoya AC · Kaizer Chiefs · Kaizer Chiefs FC · Mamelodi Sundowns FC · Pyramids FC
Claims
What the coverage asserts, and how well corroborated each claim is across sources.
- [○ 1 SOURCE] Egyptian clubs Zamalek and Pyramids will start in the first preliminary round of the Champions League. (Article 40bb2cfc-1d47-44cc-882f-2b4e74b5ae35)
- [● 2 SOURCES] The CAF Champions League and Confederation Cup preliminary round draws will be held on 6 August 2026. (Both articles)
- [○ 1 SOURCE] Egyptian clubs Al Ahly and ZED will compete in the Confederation Cup, with Al Ahly exempt from the first preliminary round. (Article 40bb2cfc-1d47-44cc-882f-2b4e74b5ae35)
- [● 2 SOURCES] The Confederation Cup draw started at 14:00 Cairo time. (supporting_article_ids)
- [○ 1 SOURCE] The Champions League draw will start at 15:00 Cairo time. (Article 40bb2cfc-1d47-44cc-882f-2b4e74b5ae35)
- [● 3 SOURCES] The draw was broadcast on beIN Sports News, On Sport and CAF’s YouTube channel. (supporting_article_ids)
- [○ 1 SOURCE] Zamalek returns to the Champions League for the first time since the 2021‑2022 season. (Article 02621e45-9a18-435d-b67a-223f17a87a51)
- [○ 1 SOURCE] CAF exempted three clubs – Nahda Berkane (Morocco), Espérance de Tunis (Tunisia) and Mamelodi Sundowns (South Africa) – from the first preliminary round. (Article 40bb2cfc-1d47-44cc-882f-2b4e74b5ae35)
- [○ 1 SOURCE] AS FAR and Raja Casablanca were exempted from the first round and will face winners of specific ties in the second round. (supporting_article_ids)
- [● 4 SOURCES] Eight highest‑ranked clubs were exempted from the first preliminary round and entered in the second round. (supporting_article_ids)
- [● 3 SOURCES] Shooting Stars were drawn against CS Sfaxien of Tunisia in the first preliminary round. (supporting_article_ids)
- [● 8 SOURCES] The CAF Confederation Cup preliminary round draw was held in Cairo on 6 August 2026. (supporting_article_ids)