CAF Confederation Cup Draw: Giants Get Favorable Path

CAF’s headquarters in Cairo felt like the starting gun for a new continental marathon on Thursday, as the draw for the 2026–2027 CAF Confederation Cup mapped out a sprawling, high‑risk journey from September skirmishes to a May final.

Fifty‑six clubs are in, but only eight already know they will not touch a ball in the opening month.

Heavyweights step in late

The continental ranking has spoken. Al Ahly of Egypt, Azam of Tanzania, USM Alger and CR Belouizdad of Algeria, Raja and AS FAR of Morocco, Maniema Union of DR Congo, and Kaizer Chiefs of South Africa all skip the first preliminary round and step straight into the second.

For the rest, it’s a slog.

Forty‑eight sides will contest 24 first preliminary ties over two legs, from 4–6 September and 11–13 September, to complete a 32‑team second preliminary round. Only then does the real sorting begin.

Africa’s most decorated club, Al Ahly, will not know their first opponent for a while. They open in the second preliminary round against the winner of Mogadishu City of Somalia v Kitara of Uganda. On paper, it’s a gentle reintroduction to the Confederation Cup. History, though, has a habit of punishing complacency in this competition.

Raja, another continental giant, also draw what looks like a manageable start. The Moroccan side will face whoever emerges from El Kanemi Warriors of Nigeria v Oudjeb of Benin. Across Rabat, AS FAR wait for the winner of ASBSI of Chad v Kokoroko of Ivory Coast.

USM Alger, the defending champions after edging Zamalek of Egypt on penalties in last season’s final, will meet the winner of Panthers of Ethiopia v ASPAC of Benin. Their compatriots CR Belouizdad have been paired with the victor of Douanes of Burkina Faso v Hafia Conakry of Guinea, a tie that carries a whiff of danger given Hafia’s pedigree and Burkina Faso’s stubborn club sides.

Kaizer Chiefs, chasing continental relevance after years of domestic turbulence, will not feature until they face the winner of Red Arrows of Zambia v FC Rouge of Congo. Maniema Union of DR Congo enter against the victor of University of Namibia (UNAM) v Kabuscorp de Palanca of Angola, another matchup dripping with travel and logistical challenges as much as footballing ones.

Azam of Tanzania, quietly building a reputation as a serious regional force, will face the winner of ZED of Egypt v Ittihad Djibouti.

The picture is clear: the giants have been protected from early collisions. The draw has given them breathing space, not immunity.

First round: long journeys, thin margins

The first preliminary round offers a familiar Confederation Cup mix: big‑city names, army teams, company clubs, and outfits that will be Googled by fans across the continent as the ties approach.

Among the standout pairings:

• Mogadishu City (Somalia) v Kitara (Uganda)
• ZED (Egypt) v Ittihad Djibouti
• Al Hilal Al Sahel (Sudan) v Welwalo Adigrat (Ethiopia)
• KMKM (Zanzibar) v Al Ahly Tripoli (Libya)
• Al Ahly Madani (Sudan) v Tusker (Kenya)
• Al Ghazala Wau (South Sudan) v Singida Black Stars (Tanzania)
• Panthers (Ethiopia) v ASPAC (Benin)
• ASBSI (Chad) v Kokoroko (Ivory Coast)
• Douanes (Burkina Faso) v Hafia Conakry (Guinea)
• El Kanemi Warriors (Nigeria) v Oudjeb (Benin)

West Africa delivers its usual intensity: FC Amadou Diallo (Ivory Coast) v East End Lions (Sierra Leone), Shooting Stars of Nigeria v CS Sfaxien of Tunisia, Mostakbal Gabes of Tunisia v Diambars of Senegal, Vitesse of Burkina Faso v Real Bamako of Mali, Diarra of Mali v Nations of Ghana, AS Sam of Niger v ASKO Kara of Togo.

Southern and Central Africa are no quieter: UNAM (Namibia) v Kabuscorp de Palanca (Angola), Red Arrows (Zambia) v FC Rouge (Congo), Durban City (South Africa) v Rukinzo (Burundi), Port Louis 2000 (Mauritius) v Jwaneng Galaxy (Botswana), Panthere Sportive (Central Africa) v Rayon Sport (Rwanda), Atomique du Niger v Black Bulls (Mozambique), DC Virunga (DR Congo) v Bazar Brothers (Seychelles), Green Mamba (Eswatini) v Primeiro de Agosto (Angola).

Every winner here not only moves a step closer to the group stage but also earns a date with a heavyweight or a regional rival in the second preliminary round.

Second preliminary round: giants await

Once the first dust settles, the bracket tightens and the stakes rise. The second preliminary round, scheduled for 16–18 October (first legs) and 23–25 October (returns), throws the first real shadows of the group stage across the competition.

The ties are set up as follows:

• Mogadishu City/Kitara v Al Ahly (Egypt)
• ZED/Ittihad Djibouti v Azam (Tanzania)
• Al Hilal Al Sahel/Welwalo Adigrat v KMKM/Al Ahly Tripoli
• Al Ahly Madani/Tusker v Al Ghazala Wau/Singida Black Stars
• Panthers/ASPAC v USM Alger (Algeria)
• ASBSI/Kokoroko v AS FAR (Morocco)
• Douanes/Hafia Conakry v CR Belouizdad (Algeria)
• El Kanemi Warriors/Oudjeb v Raja (Morocco)
• FC Amadou Diallo/East End Lions v Shooting Stars/CS Sfaxien
• Mostakbal Gabes/Diambars v Vitesse/Real Bamako
• Diarra/Nations v AS Sam/ASKO Kara
• UNAM/Kabuscorp de Palanca v Maniema Union (DR Congo)
• Red Arrows/FC Rouge v Kaizer Chiefs (South Africa)
• Durban City/Rukinzo v Port Louis 2000/Jwaneng Galaxy
• Panthere Sportive/Rayon Sport v Atomique du Niger/Black Bulls
• DC Virunga/Bazar Brothers v Green Mamba/Primeiro de Agosto

From these 32 clubs, only 16 will reach the group stage. For some, that alone would be a landmark achievement. For others, anything less than a deep run would be a failure.

Calendar locked, prize clear

CAF has laid out the road in full.

After the two preliminary rounds, the group stage will unfold over six matchdays:

• Matchday 1: 27–29 November 2026
• Matchday 2: 4–6 December 2026
• Matchday 3: 18–20 December 2026
• Matchday 4: 8–10 January 2027
• Matchday 5: 15–17 January 2027
• Matchday 6: 22–24 January 2027

The knockout phase follows:

• Quarter‑finals: 26–28 February (first leg), 5–7 March 2027 (second leg)
• Semi‑finals: 9–11 April (first leg), 16–18 April 2027 (second leg)
• Final: to be played between 9 and 31 May 2027, with the exact date still to be confirmed

USM Alger hold the trophy and the target on their backs. Every challenger knows the reward: 4 million dollars for the champions, a transformative sum in many of these club environments. Even those who fall at the first or second hurdle will not leave empty‑handed, with each team eliminated in the preliminary rounds receiving a 100,000‑dollar solidarity payment under CAF’s support policy.

The map is drawn. The giants have their cushions, the underdogs their shot at an upset and a windfall. From Mogadishu to Casablanca, Johannesburg to Cairo, the question now is simple: who will still be standing when May 2027 arrives?