CAF Confederation Cup
CAF CONFEDERATION CUP: ENYIMBA START GROUP STAGE IN MOROCCO; RANGERS AT HOME
BY MUYIWA AKINTUNDE
When the group stage of this season’s CAF Confederation Cup kicks off on December 1, Nigerian champions Enyimba will be away to Morocco’s Hassania Agadir, while Rangers, who were knocked out at the group phase last year, will host another north African team, Pyramids FC of Egypt.
The draw for the group phase of the continent’s second tier club competition had earlier been conducted at the CAF headquarters in Cairo, placing Enyimba in Group D and Rangers in Group A.
Enyimba, CAF Champions League winners in 2003 and 2004, also have in Group D FC San Pédro (Côte d’Ivoire) and Paradou AC (Algeria). The Ivorien side will host the encounter against the Algerian club.
Mauritania’s FC Nouadhibou will be at home against Al-Masry SC of Egypt in Group A where Rangers feature. .
In the other groups, Horoya of Guinea, winners of CAF Cup Winners Cup in 1978 and veterans of the continent’s club competitions, will be away to South Africa’s Bidvest Wits on Matchday 1 in Group B, while Al-Nasr SC (Libya) will welcome Mali’s Djoliba at a venue to be determined later.
In Group C, last year’s finalists Morocco’s RS Berkane will be at home to Benin Republic’s ESAE on Matchday 1, on the same day Zambia’s Zanaco FC will be away to Daring Club Motema Pembe in DR Congo.
The group stage will be concluded on March 6, next year with the top two teams advancing to the quarterfinals.
Enyimba were the last Nigerian team to advance beyond the group stage of this competition. And that was in 2018 when the People’s Elephant reached the semifinals but lost 1-3 aggregate to eventual winners Raja Casablanca.
Matchday 1
Group A:
Rangers (Nigeria) v Pyramids FC (Egypt)
FC Nouadhibou (Mauritania) v Al-Masry SC (Egypt)
Group B:
Bidvest Wits (South Africa) v Horoya (Guinea)
Al-Nasr SC (Libya) v Djoliba SC (Mali)
Group C:
RS Berkane (Morocco) v ESAE (Benin Republic)
Daring Club Motema Pembe (DR Congo) v Zanaco FC (Zambia)
Group D:
Hassania Agadir (Morocco) v Enyimba (Nigeria)
FC San Pédro (Côte d’Ivoire) v Paradou AC (Algeria)
Matchday 2
Group A:
Al-Masry SC v Rangers
Pyramids FC v FC Nouadhibou
Group B:
Djoliba SC v Bidvest Wits
Horoya v Al-Nasr SC
Group C:
Zanaco FC v RS Berkane
ESAE v Daring Club Motema Pembe
Group D:
Enyimba v Paradou AC
Hassania Agadir v FC San Pédro
Matchday 3
Group A:
Rangers v FC Nouadhibou
Pyramids FC v Al-Masry SC
Group B:
Bidvest Wits v Al-Nasr SC
Horoya v Djoliba SC
Group C:
RS Berkane v Daring Club Motema Pembe
ESAE v Zanaco FC
Group D:
Hassania Agadir v Enyimba
Paradou AC v FC San Pédro
Matchday 4
Group A:
FC Nouadhibou v Rangers
Al-Masry SC v Pyramids FC
Group B:
Al-Nasr SC v Bidvest Wits
Djoliba SC v Horoya
Group C:
Daring Club Motema Pembe v RS Berkane
Zanaco FC v ESAE
Group D:
Enyimba v Hassania Agadir
FC San Pédro v Paradou AC
Matchday 5:
Group A: Pyramids FC v Rangers
Al-Masry SC v FC Nouadhibou
Group B:
Horoya v Bidvest Wits
Djoliba SC v Al-Nasr SC
Group C:
ESAE v RS Berkane
Zanaco FC v Daring Club Motema Pembe
Group D:
Enyimba v Hassania Agadir
Paradou AC v FC San Pédro
Matchday 6
Group A: Rangers v Al-Masry SC
FC Nouadhibou v Pyramids FC
Group B:
Bidvest Wits v Djoliba SC,
Al-Nasr SC v Horoya
Group C:
RS Berkane v Zanaco FC
Daring Club Motema Pembe v ESAE
Group D:
Paradou AC v Enyimba
FC San Pédro v Hassania Agadir
—
A high-stakes Moroccan derby between Olympique de Safi and Wydad Casablanca will headline the quarter-final stage of the 2025/26 CAF Confederation Cup, following Tuesday’s draw in Cairo.
The draw ceremony, conducted by the Confederation of African Football (CAF), mapped out the path to the final for the eight remaining contenders, setting up intriguing North African and Central African showdowns.
All-Moroccan Clash Guarantees Semi-Final Spot
Olympique de Safi will host Wydad Casablanca in the first leg of their tie, ensuring that Morocco will have at least one representative in the semi-finals. The clash pits two sides familiar with each other domestically, adding extra intensity to what is already a decisive knockout encounter.
Egyptian and Algerian Heavyweights in Action
Egyptian giants Zamalek SC will begin their campaign away to Congo’s AS Otoho, a tie that sees the five-time African champions seeking another continental crown.
Meanwhile, Al Masry SC will host Algeria’s CR Belouizdad in the first leg, in what promises to be a tightly contested North Africa battle.
In another compelling fixture, AS Maniema Union of the Democratic Republic of Congo will take on Algeria’s USM Alger, as the Congolese side looks to capitalise on home advantage in the opening leg.
Quarter-Final Fixtures
- QF1: Al Masry (Egypt) vs CR Belouizdad (Algeria)
- QF2: Olympique de Safi (Morocco) vs Wydad Casablanca (Morocco)
- QF3: AS Otoho (Congo) vs Zamalek SC (Egypt)
- QF4: AS Maniema Union (DR Congo) vs USM Alger (Algeria)
The quarter-final first legs are scheduled for 15 March, with return fixtures set for 22 March.
Semi-Final Pathway Confirmed
The draw also determined the semi-final bracket:
- SF1: Winner of AS Maniema Union vs USM Alger will host the first leg against the winner of Olympique de Safi vs Wydad Casablanca.
- SF2: Winner of Al Masry vs CR Belouizdad will host the first leg against the winner of AS Otoho vs Zamalek SC.
The semi-finals will be played on 12 April (first leg) and 19 April (second leg).
The team advancing from the semi-finals will host the first leg of the final on 9 May, with the decisive second leg scheduled for 16 May.
With regional rivalries, heavyweight pedigrees, and emerging contenders all in the mix, the knockout stage of the 2025/26 CAF Confederation Cup promises high drama as clubs across North and Central Africa vie for continental glory.
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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.
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CAF Confederation Cup
Zamalek, Kaizer Chiefs Drawn Together as CAF Confederation Cup Group Stage Unveiled
The draw for the group phase of this season’s African Confederation Cup conducted in Johannesburg on Monday:
Group A: USM Alger (Algeria), Djoliba (Mali), Olympique Safi (Morocco), San Pedro (Ivory Coast)
Group B: Azam (Tanzania), Maniema Union (DR Congo), Nairobi United (Kenya), Wydad Casablanca (Morocco)
Group C: Chabab Belouizdad (Algeria), AS Otoho (Congo) Singida Black Stars (Tanzania), Stellenbosch (South Africa)
Group D: Al Masry (Egypt), Kaizer Chiefs (South Africa), Zamalek (Egypt), Zesco United (Zambia)
The top two finishers in each of the four groups advance to the quarter-finals in March.
The group phase starts on Sunday November 23 and will continue through to mid-February.
-Reuters
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