CAF Champions League
CAF CONFEDERATION CUP DRAW: ENYIMBA AWAIT EGYPT, DR CONGO OPPONENTS
BY MUYIWA AKINTUNDE.
Draw for the continent’s inter-club competitions – CAF Champions League and Confederation Cup – will be conducted this Monday evening in Cairo.
Group winners will be paired against runners-up, but teams that qualified from the same group will not go head-to-head.
Nigeria’s Enyimba, in the CAF Confederation Cup, will avoid Congo Brazzaville’s CARA Brazzaville, which finished behind the People’s Elephant in Group C. They will also not face Raja Casablanca and RS Berkane (both of Morocco) and USM Alger (Algeria).
Enyimba’s options in the quarterfinals will be limited to AS Vita Club (DR Congo), Al-Masry (Egypt) and Rayon Sports (Rwanda).
Vita Club had won the now rested African Cup of Champions Clubs in 1973 and were runners-up of that competition in 1981 and 2014, by which time it had been renamed CAF Champions League.
They finished behind Raja Casablanca in Group A of the competition this year winning three matches and drawing one from six matches.
The farthest Al-Masry had travelled in the continent were semi-final appearances in the African Cup of Winners Cup (1999) and the CAF Cup (2002).
The Egyptian side came second to RS Berkane in Group B of this year’s competition without any defeat, recording three victories and the same number of draws.
On their part, Rayon Sports crashed out in the quarterfinals of the 2002 CAF Cup. Seven appearances in the CAF Champions League have produced at best second round showing. They were runners-up to USM Alger in Group D this year pulling two wins and three draws.
Enyimba have an illustrious history in Africa, although that is fast receding into forgotten memory.
They are the most decorated club from Nigeria. Not only did they break the jinx by winning the country’s first CAF Champions League title in 2003, the team, inspired by the then Abia State Governor Orji Uzor Kalu, successfully defended the title in 2004.
CAF Champions League (¼ finalists):
Group winners: Al-Ahly (Egypt), TP Mazembe (DR Congo), Wydad Casablanca (Morocco), Étoile du Sahel (Tunisia)
Runners-up: Espérance (Tunisia), ES Sétif (Algeria), Horoya (Guinea), Primeiro de Agosto (Angola)
CAF Confederation Cup (¼ finalists):
Group winners: Enyimba (Nigeria), Raja Casablanca (Morocco), RS Berkane (Morocco), USM Alger (Algeria)
Runners-up: AS Vita Club (DR Congo), Al-Masry (Egypt), CARA Brazzaville (Congo Republic), Rayon Sports (Rwanda)
The Confederation of African Football (CAF) will conduct the quarter-final draws for the 2025/26 editions of its two flagship interclub competitions — the CAF Champions League and the CAF Confederation Cup — on Tuesday, 17 February 2026, at the headquarters of the Egyptian Football Association in Cairo.
The CAF Confederation Cup quarter-final draw is scheduled to begin at 13:00 Cairo time (11:00 GMT), followed by the CAF Champions League quarter-final draw at 14:00 Cairo time (12:00 GMT).
The ceremonies will be broadcast live on CAF’s official YouTube platform, CAF TV, allowing fans across the continent and beyond to follow proceedings in real time.
Road to the Finals Takes Shape
The draws will determine not only the quarter-final pairings but also the pathway to the finals in both competitions, effectively mapping out the remaining knockout journey for Africa’s elite clubs.
With the group stages concluded, the quarter-finals mark the beginning of direct elimination football — a phase traditionally defined by tactical discipline, squad depth and mental resilience. Clubs will be keenly watching the draw to gauge potential heavyweight clashes or favourable routes to the semi-finals.
In the Champions League, former title holders and emerging contenders alike will be hoping to avoid early confrontations against continental heavyweights. Similarly, in the Confederation Cup, where competitive balance has grown in recent seasons, the draw could produce intriguing North-South or West-East showdowns.
Strategic Importance for Clubs
Beyond sporting prestige, progression to the latter stages of CAF competitions carries significant financial incentives, enhanced continental ranking points and increased global visibility. With African club football enjoying expanded broadcast reach and commercial partnerships, success in these tournaments has become both a sporting and economic objective.
Hosting the draws at the Egyptian FA headquarters in Cairo reinforces the city’s status as a nerve centre of African football administration, as clubs await clarity on their next assignments in what promises to be a decisive knockout phase of the 2025/26 campaign.
All eyes will now turn to Cairo as Africa’s road to continental glory becomes clearer.
Join the Sports Village Square channel on WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029Vaz7mEIGk1FxU8YIXb0H
Moroccan side RS Berkane delivered a commanding 3–0 victory over Rivers United FC to book their place in the knockout stages of the competition.
Berkane imposed themselves early and broke the deadlock in the 35th minute when Youssef Mehri fired into the bottom corner following a swift attacking move.
The hosts doubled their lead seven minutes later as Paul Valère Bassène finished clinically after being played through by Mounir Chouiar, leaving Rivers United with a mountain to climb before halftime.
The contest was effectively settled eight minutes into the second half. Bassène grabbed his second of the night in the 53rd minute, converting from close range after a corner to put the result beyond doubt.
Berkane maintained control for the remainder of the match, limiting Rivers United to speculative efforts and half-chances before comfortably seeing out the encounter.
With the results, Pyramids FC finish top of Group A, while RS Berkane join them in the knockout phase as runners-up, bringing the group stage to a decisive conclusion.
Join the Sports Village Square channel on WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029Vaz7mEIGk1FxU8YIXb0H
Reigning CAF Champions League holders Pyramids FC signed off their group-stage campaign in style with a 3–1 victory over Power Dynamos FC on Matchday 6 to secure top spot in Group A.
The Egyptian side made a bright start and went ahead in the 16th minute when Mostafa Ziko rose highest to head home from a corner, underlining their early dominance.
Power Dynamos responded almost immediately. Frederick Mulambia restored parity a minute later, finishing from close range after a well-worked cross to briefly unsettle the hosts.
However, Pyramids regained control midway through the first half. In the 33rd minute, Youssef Obama reacted quickest inside the penalty area to restore the lead, sending the defending champions into the break 2–1 ahead.
The decisive moment came in the 59th minute when Ewerton unleashed a superb right-footed strike from outside the box that nestled into the bottom corner, extending the advantage to 3–1.
Despite late substitutions and sporadic pressure from the visitors, Pyramids managed proceedings comfortably to claim all three points and finish the group stage at the summit.
Join the Sports Village Square channel on WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029Vaz7mEIGk1FxU8YIXb0H
- WAFCON4 days ago
BREAKING: CAF Postpones WAFCON 2026
- OBITUARY5 days ago
Nigerian Sports Journalism Mourns Oyeniyi Oyeleke and Tonex Chukwu
- MLS1 week ago
Trump to Host Lionel Messi and Inter Miami at the White House
- World Cup5 days ago
‘I really don’t care’ if Iran plays in World Cup, Trump tells Politico
- World Cup4 days ago
Iraq’s World Cup Playoff in Doubt as War Disrupts Travel and Visa Processing
- FA Cup2 days ago
Eze thunderbolt guides Arsenal past Mansfield into FA Cup quarter-finals
- MLS3 days ago
Trump celebrates Messi
- World Cup3 days ago
World Cup 2026: U-20 World Cup Winner Ouahbi Takes Charge of Morocco’s Atlas Lions