CAF Confederation Cup
Full Fixtures of CAF Confederation Cup 2025/26 Preliminary Round Draw Deliver Mouthwatering Clashes
The road to continental glory in the CAF Confederation Cup 2025/26 has officially begun following the Preliminary Round draw held at Azam Media Studios in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, on Saturday.
Click HERE for the full list of fixtures.
A total of 58 clubs from across Africa will compete in this year’s edition, with several blockbuster fixtures already lined up in the opening rounds.
Six of the continent’s top-ranked clubs – Wydad AC (Morocco), USM Alger (Algeria), CR Belouizdad (Algeria), Zamalek SC (Egypt), Al Masry SC (Egypt), and Stellenbosch FC (South Africa) – have been handed byes into the Second Preliminary Round based on CAF Club Rankings.
In one of the standout ties, Ghanaian giants Asante Kotoko will face fellow West Africans Kwara United of Nigeria, with the winners taking on Moroccan powerhouse Wydad AC in the next round.
Senegal’s Génération Foot meet Côte d’Ivoire’s Amadou Diallo FC, with the winners set for a showdown against former CAF Confederation Cup champions USM Alger.
Another intriguing clash sees Hafia FC of Guinea battle Algeria’s CR Belouizdad, while Burkina Faso’s USFA host Nigeria’s Abia Warriors, with Mali’s Djoliba AC awaiting in the Second Preliminary Round.
Elsewhere, Tanzania’s Azam FC will have to navigate past Zanzibar’s KMKM SC and South Sudan’s El Merriekh Bentiu for a place in the next stage, while Uganda’s NEC FC take on Sudan’s Al Ahli Madani, with Tunisia’s Étoile Sportive du Sahel awaiting the winners.
Zambia’s Zesco United lock horns with Malawi’s Mighty Wanderers for a potential tie against Botswana’s Jwaneng Galaxy, while DR Congo’s second representative will meet Angola’s Kabuscrop de Palanca for a spot against South Africa’s Kaizer Chiefs.
The draw has also thrown up regional derbies, debut appearances for ambitious newcomers, and the prospect of titanic North African clashes in the latter stages.
The journey to glory will begin with the Preliminary Round, played over two legs on the weekends of 19–21 September and 26–28 September 2025. Victors will advance to the Second Preliminary Round on 17–19 October, with the return legs a week later from 24–26 October.
The successful sides will earn their place in the Group Stage, which kicks off on 21 November 2025.
From there, the best of the best will battle through to the knockout stage, starting on 13 March 2026, with the dream of lifting African football’s most coveted club trophies.
-Cafonline
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CAF Confederation Cup
Nigeria–Ghana Rivalry Rekindled as Kwara United Face Asante Kotoko in Confederation Cup
By KUNLE SOLAJA.
In the CAF Confederation Cup, the age-old Nigeria–Ghana football rivalry will be reignited as Asante Kotoko host Kwara United in the first leg. Asante Kotoko were African champions in 1970 and 1983.
This is their seventh appearance in the CAF Confederation Cup. The Ghanaian side, which will host the first leg, has also featured in the old CAF Winners Cup seven times.
Kwara United are also not newcomers on the continental stage. This will be their third venture at the CAF Confederation Cup after those of 2007 and the 2022/23 season. They were quarter finalists in the 1999 edition of the old-styled CAF Cup.
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By KUNLE SOLAJA.
Continental debutants Abia Warriors will take on Malian giants Djoliba, with the Nigerian side hosting the first leg.
Djoliba AC is the dominant club in Mali, having been champions 24 times. They have won the national cup 20 times.
While Abia Warriors will be playing their first CAF Confederation Cup when they face the Malians next month, it will be the 55th Confederation Cup match for Djoliba.
Their continental experience is further underlined by the 76 matches they have played in the CAF Champions League. In addition, Djoliba, which is the native name for the River Niger in Mali, have also played in the old CAF Winners Cup 22 times and the defunct Abiola CAF Cup 16 times bringing their total continental matches to 168.
In those matches, Djoliba won 63, drew 44 and lost 56.
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Nigeria’s flagbearers in the CAF Confederation Cup, Abia Warriors and Kwara United, are both in Pot 1 ahead of the Draw ceremony holding this Saturday in Tanzania. In essence, both teams will avoid each other in the preliminary stage.
A total of 58 clubs entered this season’s competition, featuring several continental heavyweights and ambitious debutantes.
Among the debutantes is Nigeria’s Abia Warriors. The draw will be conducted at Azam Media Studios at 13h00 local time (10h00 GMT) and will be broadcast live on CAF’s YouTube channel and through CAF’s broadcast partners.
This season, teams eliminated in the first two rounds will each receive USD 100,000 to assist with logistical costs, as CAF continues its strategy of encouraging broader participation and competitive balance across the continent.
The road to the 2025/26 title will begin with the Preliminary Round between 19–21 September (first leg) and 26–28 September (second leg).
With 58 teams registered, six clubs – including former continental champions and recent finalists – have received byes into the Second Preliminary Round based on their CAF Club Rankings.
Exempted clubs: Wydad AC (Morocco), USM Alger (Algeria), CR Belouizdad (Algeria), Zamalek SC (Egypt), Al Masry SC (Egypt), Stellenbosch FC (South Africa)
The remaining teams have been divided into three pots according to their CAF Club Ranking and geographical proximity, taking into account regional unions such as UNAF, WAFU, CECAFA, COSAFA, and UNIFFAC.
POTS FOR THE DRAW
Pot 1 – Coton Sport (Benin), USFA (Burkina Faso), Aigle Royal (Cameroon), AF Amadou Diallo (Côte d’Ivoire), FC San Pedro (Côte d’Ivoire), Asante Kotoko (Ghana), Hafia FC (Guinea), Black Man Warrior (Liberia), ASC Snim (Mauritania), OCS (Morocco), ASN Nigelec (Niger), Abia Warriors (Nigeria), Kwara United (Nigeria), Génération Foot (Senegal), Bhantal FC (Sierra Leone), AS Gbohloe-su (Togo), Stade Tunisien (Tunisia)
Pot 2 – Flambeau du Centre (Burundi), AS Port (Djibouti), Wolitta Dicha SC (Ethiopia), Nairobi United FC (Kenya), Libya 1 (Libya), Libya 2 (Libya), Rayon Sport FC (Rwanda), Dekadaha FC (Somalia), El Merriekh FC Bentiu (South Sudan), Al Ahli Madani (Sudan), Al Zamalek Umr. (Sudan), Singida Black Stars (Tanzania), Azam FC (Tanzania), NEC FC (Uganda), KMKM SC (Zanzibar)
Pot 3 – Kabuscorp de Palanca (Angola), CD 1º de Agosto (Angola), Djabal FC (Comoros), RD Congo 1 (DR Congo), RD Congo 2 (DR Congo), FC 15 Agosto (Equatorial Guinea), FC 105 (Gabon), AS Fanalamanga (Madagascar), Mighty Wanderers (Malawi), Pamplemousses (Mauritius), Ferroviário de Maputo (Mozambique), Young Africans FC (Namibia), Foresters FC (Seychelles), Zesco United (Zambia)
Ranked clubs entering in Preliminary Round: Djoliba AC de Bamako (Mali), Jwaneng Galaxy (Botswana), Étoile Sportive du Sahel (Tunisia), Kaizer Chiefs (South Africa), Royal Leopards (Eswatini), AS Otohô (Congo)
COMPETITION TIMELINE
Preliminary Round: First Leg – 19–21 September 2025; Second Leg – 26–28 September 2025
Second Preliminary Round: First Leg – 17–19 October 2025; Second Leg – 24–26 October 2025
Group Stage: Begins 28 November 2025
Knockout Phase: Starts 3 April 2026
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Full Fixtures of CAF Confederation Cup 2025/26 Preliminary Round Draw Deliver Mouthwatering Clashes
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