Confederation of African Football ( CAF) President Dr Patrice Motsepe has approved a significant financial uplift for clubs competing in the 2025/26 CAF inter-club competitions.
Dr Motsepe announced the increase during the Executive Committee meeting held in Rabat, confirming that the participation support fee for the 2025/26 CAF Champions League and Confederation Cup will be doubled from $50,000 to $100,000 per team.
This means that Nigerian representatives Remo Stars, Rivers United, Abia Warriors, and Kwara United are each set to receive around ₦152.9 million simply for taking part in the competition.
The decision marks a major shift in CAF’s financial commitment to its member clubs, after years of offering little to no support for early-round participants.
While the preliminary draws for the competitions are yet to be conducted, CAF has instructed all member associations to submit the names of their qualifying clubs no later than 31 July 2025.
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Registration must be completed through CAF’s electronic Competition Management System (CMS), which will serve as the sole entry channel for the interclub season.
The 2025/26 CAF Interclub season is scheduled to kick off in mid-September, with preliminary round matches taking place between 19 and 28 September, followed by the second round between 17 and 26 October.
Group stage action is set to begin on 21 November, while the competition is expected to conclude with the finals in May 2026.
In response to CAF’s timeline, the Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) had adjusted its domestic calendar to align with continental commitments.
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The new NPFL season will run from 22 August 2025 to 24 May 2026, ensuring that Nigerian clubs are better prepared for their continental campaigns.
