CAF Champions League
Excitement as five debutant clubs go on parade at new season of CAF Champions League
There are five clubs who will be making debut as the new season of the CAF Champions League kicks off this Friday.
The season begins with the first preliminary round matches being played across the continent.
Burkina Faso’s Rail Club de Kadiogo will be returning to the Champions League for the first time since 2006 and they will take on Ghanaian giants Asante Kotoko in the first match of the new season in Ouagadougou.
Defending champions Wydad Athletic Club of Morocco and compatriots Raja Club Athletic, Tunisia’s Esperance, record champions and last season’s losing finalists Al Ahly, DR Congo’s TP Mazembe and Mamelodi Sundowns have all been exempted from the first round.
CAFOnline.com looks at the first round in perspective, and what to expect as the new interclub season rolls off.
Debutant Teams:
Zalan FC (South Sudan) – Zalan, based in the South Sudanese region of Rumbek are playing the Champions League for the first time in their history after their maiden victory in the Premier League last season. They begin their campaign at home and will face Tanzania’s Young Africans.
ASN Nigelec (Niger) – Ningelec won the Nigerien Premier League for the first time ever and booked their maiden sojourn to the Champions League. They have one prior continental football experience, having played in the CAF Confederation Cup in 2014, where they lost to Algeria’s CS Constantine 4-3 in the first round. They will take on another debutant, Guinea’s Academie SOAR who won the title last season.
Flambeau du Centre (Burundi) – The Gitega based team clinched their first ever league title after a 2-1 final day victory over Athletico New Oil Academy. They thus qualified to represent Burundi in the Champions League for the very first time. They will take on Libya’s Al Ittihad in the first round.
Watanga FC (Liberia) – Watanga clinched the Liberian premier League title for the first time ever and will make their Champions League debut. They travel to Nigeria for a first round date against seasones side Rivers United.
Associaçao Black Bulls (Mozambique) – The Mozambican club won the top flight for the first time ever and earned a debut in continental football, with a ticket to the Champions League. They will take on experienced Angolan side Petro de Luanda in the first preliminary round.
Here is the schedule:
* All times are in GMT
Friday 09 September 2022
Time Match Venue City
- 16:00 Rail Club de Kadiogo (Burkina Faso) – Asante Kotoko (Ghana) Stade de Yamoussoukro Yamoussoukro
Saturday 10 September 2022
- 12:30 Volcan Club de Moroni (Comoros) – La Passe FC (Seychelles) Stade Moroni Malouzini Moroni
- 13:00 APR FC (Rwanda) – US Monastirienne (Tunisia) Huye Stadium Huye
- 13:00 Zalan FC Rumbek (South Sudan) – Young Africans (Tanzania) National Stadium Dar Es Salaam
- 13:00 Cape Town City FC (South Africa) – AS Otohô (Congo) Athlone Stadium Cape Town
- 13:00 Red Arrows FC (Zambia) – CD Primeiro de Agosto (Angola) Heroes National Stadium Lusaka
- 13:00 Nyasa Big Bullets FC (Malawi) – Simba SC (Tanzania) Bingu National Stadium Lilongwe
- 14:00 Matlama FC (Lesotho) – Coton Sport (Cameroon) Free State Stadium Mangaung
- 14:30 ASO Stade Mandji (Gabon) – Plateau United FC (Nigeria) Stade de la Rénovation Franceville
- 15:00 Olympic Real de Bangui (CAR) – Vipers SC (Uganda) Stade Alphonse Massamba Debat Brazzaville
- 15:00 CD Mongomo (Equatorial Guinea) – Djoliba AC (Mali) Estadio de Mongomo Mongomo
- 15:30 ASN Nigelec (Niger) – SOAR (Guinea) Stade Général Senyi Kountché Niamey
- 16:00 BO Rangers FC (Sierra Leone) – CR Belouizdad (Algeria) Samuel Kayon Doe Sports Complex Paynesville
- 16:00 KMKM SC (Zanzibar) – Al Ahli Tripoli (Libya) Amaan Stadium Zanzibar City
Sunday 11 September 2022
Time Match Venue City
- 13:00 Saint George SC (Ethiopia) – Al Hilal (Sudan) Bahir Dar National Stadium Bahir Dar
- 13:00 Flambeau du Centre (Burundi) – Al Ittihad (Sudan) Azam Complex Dar Es Salaam
- 13:00 CFFA (Madagascar) – Royal Leopards FC (Eswatini) Stade Kianja Barea Antananarivo
- 14:00 Arta Solar 7 (Djibouti) – Al Merrikh (Sudan) Stade El hadj Hassan Gouled Djibouti Ville
- 15:00 Rivers United FC (Nigeria) – Watanga FC (Liberia) Adokiye Amiesimaka International Stadium Port Harcourt
- 16:00 Coton Sport Benin (Benin) – ASEC Mimosas (CIV) Stade de l’Amitié, Mathieu Kérékou Cotonou
- 16:00 ASKO de Kara (Togo) – FC Nouadhibou (Mauritania) Stade de Kegue Lomé
- 16:00 Gaborone United SC (Botswana) – AS Vita Club (DR Congo) National Stadium Gaborone
- 17:00 Casamance FC (Senegal) – JS Kabylie (Algeria) Stade Lat dior Thiès
- 13:00 Associaçao Black Bulls (Mozambique) – Petro Luanda (Angola) Estadio Nacional de Zimpeto Maputo
Sunday 18 September 2022
Time Match Venue City
- 15:00 Elect Sport (Chad) – Zamalek (Egypt) Ahmadou Ahidjo Stadium Yaoundé
Clubs that received bye to Second Preliminary Round
- Al Ahly (Egypt), Esperance (Tunisia), Mamelodi Sundowns (South Africa), Raja Club Athletic (Morocco), TP Mazembe (DR Congo), Wydad Athletic Club (Morocco).
- Besides Horoya AC (Mali) is qualified for the next round following the withdrawal of Gambia’s Hawks FC.
CAF Champions League
Africa’s Elite Clubs Set for High-Stakes CAF Champions League Quarter-Final Clashes
Africa’s top club sides will battle for supremacy this weekend as the quarter-finals of the CAF Champions League 2025/26 season get underway with four high-profile first-leg encounters across the continent.
With the Confédération Africaine de Football (CAF) announcing an increase in prize money, with the winners now set to receive $6 million, the stakes have risen significantly for the eight teams still in contention.
Following a thrilling group stage that delivered several dramatic contests, the competition now enters the knockout phase, where Africa’s football giants must navigate the fine margins that often define success or elimination.
Sundowns Face Historic Challenge from Stade Malien
South African champions Mamelodi Sundowns, winners of the 2016 title, begin their quarter-final campaign at home when they host Mali’s Stade Malien at Loftus Versfeld Stadium in Pretoria on Friday evening.
Kick-off is scheduled for 20:00 local time (18:00 GMT).
Sundowns, runners-up in last season’s competition, are seasoned campaigners in the latter stages of African club football and will be aiming to secure a strong advantage before the return leg.
Their opponents, however, arrive with renewed ambition. Stade Malien have reached the knockout rounds of the competition for the first time since 1985, marking a historic return to the continental spotlight.
Pyramids Seek Repeat Success Against AS FAR
Another intriguing encounter on Friday will see Egyptian champions Pyramids FC travel to Morocco to face AS FAR at the Stade Olympique de Rabat.
The defending champions have been one of the standout performers in the competition so far. Pyramids amassed 16 points from a possible 18 in the group stage — the highest total among all teams — and were also the only club to reach double figures in goals scored (14).
The tie revives memories of last season’s quarter-final meeting between the two sides. On that occasion, Pyramids secured a commanding 4–1 victory in the first leg, although AS FAR responded with a 2–0 home win in the return fixture.
Debutants Berkane Meet Experienced Al Hilal
Moroccan side RS Berkane, current holders of the CAF Confederation Cup, will host Sudanese giants Al Hilal Omdurman on Saturday at the Stade Municipal de Berkane.
While Berkane are competing in the CAF Champions League for the first time, Al Hilal arrive with greater experience, having reached the quarter-finals for the second consecutive year.
The two clubs have met only once before in continental competition, during the 2018 CAF Confederation Cup, when Berkane advanced with a 3–0 aggregate victory.
North African Heavyweights Clash in Tunisia
The final quarter-final first leg promises to be one of the weekend’s most compelling encounters as Egypt’s Al Ahly SC, the competition’s most successful side with 12 titles, travels to Tunisia to face fierce rivals Espérance Sportive de Tunis.
The match will take place at the Hammadi Agrebi Stadium in Rades on Sunday night.
The two clubs share a long and intense continental rivalry, having met in numerous decisive fixtures over the years. Their most recent clash came in the 2023/24 CAF Champions League final, where Al Ahly triumphed 1–0 on aggregate to lift the trophy.
Return Legs Next Weekend
The second legs of the quarter-final ties are scheduled for the weekend of 21–22 March, when the four semi-finalists of Africa’s premier club competition will be determined.
With continental pride, lucrative prize money and a place in the final four at stake, the stage is set for a weekend of high-intensity football across Africa.
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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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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.
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