The countdown to the 2026/27 African club football season has officially begun after the Confederation of African Football (CAF) confirmed that the preliminary round draws for both the CAF Champions League and CAF Confederation Cup will be held on Thursday, August 6, 2026, at its headquarters in Cairo, Egypt.
The draw will determine the opening fixtures for clubs across the continent as they begin their campaigns for Africa’s two biggest club trophies.
The CAF Confederation Cup preliminary-round draw is scheduled for 14:00 Cairo time (11:00 GMT), while the CAF Champions League draw will follow an hour later at 15:00 Cairo time (12:00 GMT).
The event is expected to attract widespread attention from clubs, supporters and football stakeholders eager to discover the paths their teams must navigate on the road to continental success.
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CAF has also reaffirmed the financial rewards available in its flagship club competitions.
The winners of the CAF Champions League will receive $6 million, while the champions of the CAF Confederation Cup will earn $4 million, maintaining the increased prize structure introduced to strengthen African club football.
$100,000 support for preliminary round exits
In a further boost for participating clubs, CAF confirmed that every team eliminated in the preliminary rounds of either competition will receive a $100,000 solidarity payment.
The initiative is designed to ease the financial burden of continental participation while encouraging greater investment in clubs across Africa.
CAF said the programme forms part of its wider commitment to strengthening football structures on the continent and ensuring that more clubs benefit from the organisation’s growing commercial revenues.
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Under CAF President Patrice Motsepe, the governing body has continued to prioritise increased financial support for clubs, with the solidarity payments aimed at helping teams remain competitive despite early exits from continental competition.
