The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has officially released the full fixture calendar for the 2026/27 CAF Champions League and CAF Confederation Cup, providing qualified clubs across the continent with a definitive roadmap for the new African inter-club season.
The announcement marks another significant milestone ahead of the campaign, with clubs now able to align their pre-season programmes, player registrations and squad preparations with the confirmed competition dates.
CAF had earlier instructed all its Member Associations to submit the names of participating clubs by July 25, paving the way for the start of continental football in September.
The new season will begin with the first preliminary round, where first leg fixtures are scheduled for September 4 to 6, while the return legs will take place from September 11 to 13.
Teams that progress will move into the second preliminary round, with first-leg matches set for October 16 to 18 before the decisive return fixtures are played between October 23 and 25.
The group stage will kick off in late November, with the opening round of matches slated for November 27 to 29.
READMORE: Niger Tornadoes hand Kabiru Dogo three-year contract ahead of 2026/27 season
CAF has confirmed that the six group stage matchdays will run through January 2027, with fixtures scheduled as follows:
- Matchday One: November 27–29, 2026
- Matchday Two: December 4–6, 2026
- Matchday Three: December 18–20, 2026
- Matchday Four: January 8–10, 2027
- Matchday Five: January 15–17, 2027
- Matchday Six: January 22–24, 2027
Following the completion of the group phase, the knockout rounds will begin in February.
Quarter-final first legs will be played between February 26 and 28, with the return fixtures taking place from March 5 to 7, 2027.
The semi-finals are scheduled for April 9 to 11 and April 16 to 18, before both the CAF Champions League and CAF Confederation Cup finals are staged within the window of May 9 to May 31, 2027. CAF is expected to announce the exact dates and host venues at a later stage.
The calendar also comes against the backdrop of CAF’s recently introduced competition format changes.
The continental governing body has retained the removal of the Champions League-to-Confederation Cup crossover system, meaning clubs eliminated in the second preliminary round of the Champions League will no longer drop into the Confederation Cup.
LICK HERE TO JOIN ATHLETIC NG WHATSAPP CHANNEL NOW!
Similarly, teams that successfully negotiate the second preliminary round of the Confederation Cup will progress directly to the group stage, streamlining the competition structure and reducing fixture congestion.
