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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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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Wydad Casablanca stormed into the CAF Confederation Cup group stage with a dominant 5–1 victory over Asante Kotoko in Casablanca, completing a 6–1 aggregate triumph after winning 1–0 in Ghana last week.

The Moroccan giants were ahead inside the first minute and never looked back, scoring twice from the spot after the interval before adding a late fifth to underline their superiority at the Mohammed V Stadium.

The tone was set almost immediately when Hamza Hannouri finished a sweeping move after only 60 seconds to put Wydad 1–0 up on the night and 2–0 ahead on aggregate.

 Kotoko, who had to chase the game, responded bravely and found a lifeline on 18 minutes when Samba Gilbani steered in an equaliser to level the match.

Any hope of a comeback was short-lived. On 26 minutes, Wydad restored their lead through Aziz Ki, who arrived from midfield to convert after the hosts carved open space down the inside-right channel.

With the visitors forced to commit numbers forward, Wydad controlled territory and tempo after half-time, repeatedly drawing fouls in dangerous areas as Kotoko tired.

Their pressure told from the spot in the 54th minute when Thembinkosi Lorch sent the goalkeeper the wrong way to make it 3–1.

The Red and White continued to push, and a second penalty was awarded with six minutes of normal time remaining; Oussama Zemraoui converted confidently for 4–1.

Mohamed Bouchouari added gloss to the scoreline in stoppage time, arriving to finish a cut-back for Wydad’s fifth of the evening.

By then the outcome was beyond doubt, with the Moroccan side’s control in both boxes and superior game management decisive across the two legs.

The result returns Wydad to the group phase of a CAF interclub competition, a level they know well from their storied continental history. 

Wydad will know their group opponents on Monday.

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