The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has officially released the calendar for the 2025/26 CAF inter-club competitions, with the CAF Champions League and CAF Confederation Cup both kicking off in September.
According to CAF, the fixtures were slightly adjusted due to the scheduling of the 2024 African Nations Championship (CHAN), which was staged in August.
Remo Stars and Rivers United, the two top finishers in the Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL), will fly Nigeria’s flag in the CAF Champions League, while Abia Warriors and the yet-to-be-determined winners of the President’s Federation Cup will compete in the CAF Confederation Cup.
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CAF has also confirmed that club registration for the competition must be completed via the electronic Competition Management System (CMS), with a revised deadline of July 31, 2025 — a one-month extension from the original June 30 date.
CAF 2025/26 Inter-Club Competition Schedule
Preliminary Rounds
First Round:
First leg: September 19–21, 2025
Second leg: September 26–28, 2025
Second Round:
First leg: October 17–19, 2025
Second leg: October 24–26, 2025
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Group Stage
Matchday 1: November 21–23, 2025
Matchday 2: November 28–30, 2025
Matchday 3: January 23–25, 2026
Matchday 4: January 30–February 1, 2026
Matchday 5: February 6–8, 2026
Matchday 6: February 13–15, 2026
Quarter-finals:
First leg: March 13–15, 2026
Second leg: March 20–22, 2026
Semi-finals:
First leg: April 10–12, 2026
Second leg: April 17–19, 2026
Finals (Champions League & Confederation Cup):
To be played between May 8–24, 2026
CAF is expected to release further logistical and venue details in the coming months as the continent’s biggest club football competitions return in earnest.
