The road to the 2026/27 CAF Confederation Cup group stage is now mapped out after the Confederation of African Football (CAF) conducted the preliminary round draw in Cairo on Wednesday, with Nigeria’s representatives, El Kanemi Warriors and Shooting Stars, handed intriguing assignments in their quest for continental football.
CAF received entries from 56 clubs, meaning eight of the highest-ranked teams were granted automatic passage into the second preliminary round, while the remaining 48 clubs will battle through the opening round for the right to join them.
The draw produced contrasting scenarios for Nigerian clubs. El Kanemi Warriors will begin their campaign against UDIB of Guinea-Bissau in the first preliminary round.
Victory over the Bissau-Guinean side would set up a daunting second preliminary round showdown against Moroccan giants Raja Casablanca, one of the eight clubs exempted from the opening round.
Shooting Stars, meanwhile, have been handed one of the toughest first round fixtures after being paired directly with Tunisian heavyweights CS Sfaxien, a former CAF Confederation Cup champion. The winner of that tie will advance to face either AF Amadou Diallo of Côte d’Ivoire or East End Lions of Sierra Leone in the second preliminary round.
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The draw also revealed the routes for several of Africa’s biggest clubs.
Egyptian powerhouse ZED FC will face ASAS Djibouti Télécom in the opening round, with the winner advancing to meet Tanzanian side Azam FC, who received a bye into the second preliminary round.
Sudanese club Al Hilal Al Sahil will take on Ethiopian outfit Welwalo Adigrat, with the successful side progressing to face Libyan representatives Al Ahly Tripoli.
Another Sudanese side, Al Ahli Madani, were drawn against Kenyan champions Tusker, while the winners will face Tanzania’s Singida Black Stars.
Equatorial Guinea’s The Panthers will meet Benin’s ASPAC, with Algerian giants USM Alger awaiting the winners.
Chadian side AS PSI face Côte d’Ivoire’s CO Korhogo, with Morocco’s AS FAR entering in the second preliminary round.
Mauritanian champions AS Douanes will take on Guinea’s Hafia, and the winners will face Algerian champions CR Belouizdad.
Elsewhere, Tunisia’s ES Zarzis were paired with Senegal’s Diambars, with the winners earning a date against Mali’s AS Real Bamako.
Malian club FC Diarra will face Ghana’s Nations FC, with the successful side progressing to meet Togo’s ASKO de Kara.
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Namibia’s UNAM were drawn against Angola’s Kabuscorp do Palanca, while DR Congo champions AS Maniema Union await the winners.
Zambia’s Red Arrows will meet Madagascar’s FC Rouge, with South African giants Kaizer Chiefs entering the competition in the second preliminary round.
South Africa’s Durban City were paired with Burundi’s Rukinzo, with Botswana champions Jwaneng Galaxy awaiting the winners.
Cameroon’s Panthère Sportive will face Rwanda’s Rayon Sports, with the successful side advancing to play Mozambican champions Black Bulls.
The final tie sees DR Congo’s DC Virunga take on Seychelles representatives P. Bazar Brothers, with Eswatini’s Green Mamba and Angolan side CD 1º de Agosto meeting in the corresponding second preliminary round pairing.
The 2026/27 CAF Confederation preliminary round draw. Photocredit: CAFTV/YT
CAF based the draw on club rankings and geographical proximity, dividing the participating teams into three levels. The eight highest-ranked clubs received byes into the second preliminary round, eight seeded clubs were placed in Level Two, while the remaining 40 clubs entered as unseeded teams.
The first preliminary round will be played over two legs, with the first legs scheduled for September 6 and the return legs between September 11 and 13.
The second preliminary round is scheduled for October 16-18 for the first legs and October 23-25 for the return fixtures, with the winners advancing to the lucrative group stage of Africa’s second-tier club competition.
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