The 2026/27 CAF Champions League draw has paired Zamalek with Yanga and MC Alger, while Wiliete face ES Tunis after eliminating defending champions Sundowns.
The 2026/27 CAF Champions League group-stage draw has handed Zamalek, Young Africans and MC Alger a demanding assignment in Group B, while Wiliete SC’s remarkable elimination of defending champions Mamelodi Sundowns has set up another test against established continental opposition.
The four groups were confirmed in Cairo on Wednesday, October 28, placing 16 clubs into the next phase of Africa’s premier club competition.
For Wiliete, the draw brings a new challenge after their upset of Sundowns secured a historic first group stage appearance. For Zamalek, Yanga, MC Alger and Club Africain, the route to the quarterfinals begins in a group where all four clubs will have ambitions of progressing.
Wiliete’s reward for eliminating Sundowns
Wiliete SC enter the group stage with one of the competition’s biggest stories behind them. The Angolan club eliminated holders Mamelodi Sundowns in the second preliminary round, holding the South African side to a 1-1 draw in Pretoria after a goalless first leg in Lubango.
Progression on away goals ended Sundowns’ title defense and secured Wiliete’s first appearance in the Champions’ League group stage.
Their reward is a place in Group A alongside Tunisia’s ES Tunis, Petro de Luanda of Angola and Mauritania’s FC Nouadhibou.
The presence of ES Tunis gives Wiliete a meeting with one of Africa’s most experienced clubs at this level. The Tunisian side have won the continental title four times and will be seeking another run towards the trophy.
Petro, meanwhile, add a familiar Angolan rival to Wiliete’s group, while Nouadhibou arrive after overturning a first-leg defeat to qualify.
Wiliete have already demonstrated that reputation alone cannot decide a tie. The group stage will reveal whether they can sustain that level against opponents with their own continental ambitions.
Zamalek, Yanga and MC Alger headline Group B
Group B brings together four clubs with strong reasons to target the knockout rounds: Egypt’s Zamalek, Tanzania’s Young Africans, Algeria’s MC Alger and Tunisia’s Club Africain.
Zamalek return to the group stage after a three-season absence, bringing the pedigree of five-time African champions. Their presence adds considerable history to a group in which each side will be looking to make its mark.
Yanga will represent Tanzania alongside domestic rivals Simba SC in the Champions League. Their recent progress in African competitions has raised expectations, and the Tanzanian champions now face a demanding group against three clubs with substantial continental experience.
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MC Alger also arrive with momentum from a dramatic qualifying comeback. After losing the first leg 2-0 to Nigeria’s Rangers International, the Algerian side scored three unanswered goals in the return fixture to advance 3-2 on aggregate.
Their recovery kept their title ambitions alive, but Group B presents another significant test. Club Africain complete the group after returning to this stage for the first time since the 2018/19 season, having eliminated DR Congo’s TP Mazembe in qualifying.
With four ambitious sides competing for two quarter-final places, Group B is one of the draw’s standout groupings.
Simba face Berkane and Orlando Pirates
Group C pairs Morocco’s RS Berkane with Tanzania’s Simba SC, South Africa’s Orlando Pirates and Cameroon’s Colombe Sportive.
Berkane have established themselves as a major force in African football in recent seasons, particularly in the Confederation Cup, which they have won three times. Their recent Champions League campaign also took them to the semi-finals, and they will want to turn that progress into another challenge for the title.
Simba arrive after an emphatic qualifying campaign, including a 9-1 aggregate victory over Equatorial Guinea’s 15 de Agosto. The Tanzanian side have reached the Champions League quarterfinals on four occasions in the modern format and will hope to go further this time.
Orlando Pirates, African champions in 1995, will carry South Africa’s hopes after Sundowns’ shock elimination. They qualified with a 5-0 aggregate victory over Namibia’s African Stars.
Colombe Sportive complete the group, having qualified for the group stage for the first time. Their arrival marks an important milestone for the Cameroonian club, which will now measure itself against established continental opposition.
Pyramids and Al Hilal lead Group D
Group D features Egypt’s Pyramids FC, Sudan’s Al Hilal, Guinea’s Horoya AC and Morocco’s MAS de Fès.
Pyramids are among the competition’s leading contenders after winning the Champions League in 2024/25 during only their second group-stage campaign. They return with ambitions of adding another continental title to their recent achievements.
Al Hilal, meanwhile, have qualified for the group stage for the eighth consecutive season, extending one of the competition’s most consistent runs. The Sudanese club reached the quarterfinals last season and will now attempt to convert their regular presence at this level into a deeper run.
Horoya return to the group stage for the first time since 2021/22, while MAS de Fès will make their first appearance in the modern Champions League group-stage format.
Both clubs have an opportunity to challenge the established names in the group. Pyramids and Al Hilal may bring recent success and sustained experience, but their opponents will be seeking to turn qualification into a meaningful continental campaign.
The financial prize behind the group-stage race
The draw also brings the financial stakes into sharper focus. According to the pre-draw prize structure outlined in the earlier report, clubs that reach the Champions League quarterfinals are allocated $900,000, semi finalists receive $1.2 million, runners-up earn $2 million and the champions collect $4 million.
Those figures were published in the pre-draw report. CAF subsequently announced that the winner of the 2026/27 Champions League will receive a record $6 million, so the earlier $4 million figure should not be treated as the confirmed winning prize for this season.
Qualification itself provides a valuable platform for clubs seeking continental recognition, stronger commercial opportunities and progress on the pitch. However, the financial benefits beyond the published payments will depend on each club’s circumstances.
The group stage is therefore about more than securing a place in the knockout rounds. For clubs with limited resources, a competitive campaign can bring valuable exposure, while established contenders will measure success by how far they advance.
Full 2026/27 CAF Champions League group-stage draw
Group A
ES Tunis
Petro de Luanda
FC Nouadhibou
Wiliete SC
Group B
Zamalek
Young Africans (Yanga)
MC Alger
Club Africain
Group C
RS Berkane
Simba SC
Orlando Pirates
Colombe Sportive
Group D
Pyramids FC
Al Hilal
Horoya AC
MAS de Fès
Eight places in the quarter finals await
The draw has now given all 16 clubs a clearer picture of the challenge ahead. The top two teams in each group will advance to the quarterfinals, leaving eight places available across four groups.
Wiliete will attempt to build on their elimination of Sundowns, while Zamalek, Yanga, MC Alger and Club Africain prepare for a tightly contested Group B.
Simba, Berkane and Orlando Pirates bring their own ambitions to Group C, and Pyramids and Al Hilal headline a Group D that also offers Horoya and MAS de Fès a chance to make an impression.
The qualifying rounds have already shown how quickly the established order can be challenged. Now the group stage offers a longer test of consistency, depth and ambition with continental honours and significant prize money awaiting the clubs that progress furthest.
