CAF Confederation Cup
CAF Confederation Cup awaits new winner
A new name will be engraved on the CAF Confederation Cup trophy this season as the Moroccan near monopoly of the competition comes to an end.
In the semi-final first legs on Wednesday, Young Africans of Tanzania host Marumo Gallants of South Africa and ASEC Mimosas of the Ivory Coast entertain USM Alger of Algeria.
The line-up contains several surprise qualifiers and is unusual in that the dominant region in African club football — the north — has only one representative.
Moroccan clubs Raja Casablanca and Renaissance Berkane each won two of the previous five finals with Egyptian outfit Zamalek the other side to win the African equivalent of the Europa League.
AFP Sport introduces some of the stars who could play key roles in deciding which teams advance to the final.
Menacing Mayele
Young Africans forward Fiston Mayele has scored 12 goals this season in the two CAF club competitions — the Champions League and Confederation Cup.
A 28-year-old from the Democratic Republic of Congo, he bagged seven goals in the Champions League, including two hat-tricks.
When the Dar es Salaam outfit were demoted to the Confederation Cup, he continued to torment rivals, scoring the two goals that eliminated Rivers United of Nigeria in the last round.
Red-hot Chivaviro
Ranga Chivaviro of Marumo is the joint leading scorer in the Confederation Cup with six goals, and will appreciate the hot weather forecast for the first leg against Young Africans.
“I spent six months playing for a club in Kosovo two years ago and could not get used to the cold conditions,” said the 30-year-old.
His quarter-final first-leg header against Pyramids in Egypt earned Gallants an unexpected draw, and a solitary goal gave the South Africans victory in the return match.
Twin threats
It is 24 years since ASEC last experienced African glory by defeating Tunisian giants Esperance to lift the CAF Super Cup one season after winning the CAF Champions League.
Now, the goals of Aubin Kramo and Pacome Zouzoua have brought the Abidjan outfit to the brink of another final appearance.
Kramo has netted four times and Zouzoua on three occasions as ASEC hope to become the third west African winners of the competition after Hearts of Oak from Ghana and Stade Malien of Mali.
Beware Mahious
Sharpshooter Aymen Mahious experienced heartbreak this year as hosts Algeria lost a penalty shootout against Senegal in the African Nations Championship (CHAN) final.
He was one the stand-out players in the tournament for home-based stars, scoring the only goal in each of three group victories and winning the Golden Boot with five goals.
Mahious has proven equally threatening in the Confederation Cup by netting three times — one of four USM players to achieve that feat in the African campaign.
History seekers
Young Africans, Marumo, ASEC and USM are carrying the hopes of four countries who have never lifted the Confederation Cup since its introduction in 2004.
South African clubs Orlando Pirates (twice) and SuperSport United have lost finals while a similar fate befell Algerian trio Entente Setif, Mouloudia Bejaia and JS Kabylie.
Sewe Sport were the only finalists from the Ivory Coast, losing to Egyptian giants Al Ahly in 2014, while Young Africans are the first Tanzanian side to get beyond the quarter-finals.
-AFP
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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