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4 clusters · 41 sources · 40 days · First seen 2 months ago · Last updated 24 days ago

CAF club competition expansion rollout

Overview

CAF’s July 2026 decision to add an extra club slot for each member association is being operationalised. On 6 August 2026, the preliminary-round draws for the 2026/27 Champions League and Confederation Cup were held in Cairo, confirming 56 clubs entered. The eight highest-ranked sides—Al Ahly (Egypt), Azam FC (Tanzania), USM Alger, CR Belouizdad (Algeria), Raja Casablanca, AS FAR (Morocco), Maniema Union (DR Congo), and Kaizer Chiefs (South Africa)—received byes to the second preliminary round.

First-round two-legged ties are scheduled for 4–6 September (first leg) and 11–13 September (return leg). Notable pairings include Shooting Stars (Nigeria) vs CS Sfaxien (Tunisia), El-Kanemi Warriors (Nigeria) vs UDIB (Guinea-Bissau), DC Virunga (DR Congo) vs Bazar Brothers (Seychelles), and Horoya AC (Guinea) vs JS Saoura (Algeria). Other matchups include Vitesse FC vs AS Réal de Bamako and Rahimo FC vs MAS de Fès. Al Ahly will face the winner of the Mogadishu City (Somalia) vs Kitara FC (Uganda) tie.

The upcoming season introduces a USD 100,000 solidarity payment for teams eliminated before the group stages of both competitions. Major clubs such as Al Ahly and Raja Casablanca are competing in the Confederation Cup, while TP Mazembe, ASEC Mimosas, and Club Africain participate in the Champions League.

CAF also released an updated club ranking: USM Alger is fifth in Africa, with CR Belouizdad and MC Alger also in the top-20, while Mamelodi Sundowns remains first and Al Ahly second. In women’s football, South Africa’s Banyana Banyana must beat Burkina Faso in their final WAFCON group match, and the COSAFA Women’s Champions League qualifiers have drawn Gaborone United Ladies and Silver Strikers Ladies into their groups.

Entities

Confederation of African Football (CAF) · Al Ahly · Raja Casablanca · Rivers United · Raja CA

Claims

What the coverage asserts, and how many sources carry each claim.

[● 8 SOURCES] The CAF Confederation Cup preliminary round draw was held in Cairo on 6 August 2026.
[● 4 SOURCES] Eight highest‑ranked clubs were exempted from the first preliminary round and entered in the second round.
[● 3 SOURCES] The draw was broadcast on beIN Sports News, On Sport and CAF’s YouTube channel.
[● 3 SOURCES] El‑Kanemi Warriors were drawn against UDIB of Guinea‑Bissau in the first preliminary round.
[● 3 SOURCES] Shooting Stars were drawn against CS Sfaxien of Tunisia in the first preliminary round.
[● 2 SOURCES] The Confederation Cup draw started at 14:00 Cairo time.
[○ 1 SOURCE] The Champions League draw will start at 15:00 Cairo time.
[○ 1 SOURCE] Egyptian clubs Zamalek and Pyramids will start in the first preliminary round of the Champions League.
[○ 1 SOURCE] Egyptian clubs Al Ahly and ZED will compete in the Confederation Cup, with Al Ahly exempt from the first preliminary round.
[○ 1 SOURCE] CAF exempted three clubs – Nahda Berkane (Morocco), Espérance de Tunis (Tunisia) and Mamelodi Sundowns (South Africa) – from the first preliminary round.
[○ 1 SOURCE] Zamalek returns to the Champions League for the first time since the 2021‑2022 season.
[○ 1 SOURCE] Kaizer Chiefs received a bye to the second preliminary round and will face the winner of Red Arrows (Zambia) versus FC Rouge (Madagascar).

Timeline

24 days ago

[SPORTS] 2 sources
African football clubs prepare for 2026/27 CAF Interclub season
African football clubs prepare for the 2026/27 CAF Interclub season, with major teams like Al Ahly and Raja Casablanca seeking redemption and others aiming for their first continental trophies.
about 2 months ago

[SPORTS] 25 sources
CAF draws outline 2026-27 Confederation Cup preliminary pairings
CAF’s 2026‑27 Confederation Cup draw paired 56 clubs, gave eight top teams byes, and set notable ties such as Al Ahly vs a Somalia/Uganda winner and Shooting Stars vs CS Sfaxien; USM Alger ranked fifth in CAF’s
about 2 months ago

[SPORTS] 15 sources
CAF Sets 2026 Club Draws and Awards Event in Nigeria
CAF will draw 2026/27 club competitions on 6 Aug in Cairo, inspect Nigerian venues for its General Assembly and Awards, while women's teams Banyana Banyana, Gaborone United Ladies and Silver Strikers face key
2 months ago

[SPORTS] 3 sources
CAF moves to expand African Champions League club entries
CAF is set to approve adding extra club slots to the African Champions League next season, while keeping the Confederation Cup unchanged, pending a formal vote.

Sources

alaraby.co.uk · archyworldys.com · blueprint.ng · completesports.com · congorassure.cd · cosafa.com · dailytrust.com · dailytrust.com.ng · dzballon.com · elbalad.news · footballinberkshire.co.uk · goss.ie · guinee360.com · guineematin.com · lagazettedufennec.com · lemaroc360.com · leral.net · lereporter.ma · lesiteinfo.com · lexpress.mg · maravipost.com · michezoafrika.com · mynewsgh.com · namibian.com.na · netafrique.net · nigeriafootball.ng · nyasatimes.com · panobcan.sk · primanews.org · punchng.com · realequatorialguinea.com · sorayaarnelas.es · sport-ivoire.ci · sports247.ng · thamisoccer.co.za · thenff.com · thesouthafrican.com · thezimbabwemail.com · thisdaylive.com · varazdinski.rtl.hr · vetogate.com

This summary has been updated 8 times: see revision history