CAF Champions League 2026/27: Season Guide, Dates, Fixtures & Betting Preview
CAF Champions League 2026/27: Season Guide, Key Dates, Fixtures & Betting Preview
Mamelodi Sundowns are the defending CAF Champions League champions after beating Morocco’s AS FAR 2-1 on aggregate to claim a second continental crown. The 2026/27 edition brings 61 clubs into the draw, with the preliminary rounds starting on 4 September 2026.
The headline before a ball is kicked belongs to Al Ahly, Africa’s most decorated club with 12 titles, who are absent for the first time since 2003.
CAF Champions League 2025/26 — Final & Season Recap
The CAF Champions League final was settled across two legs between Mamelodi Sundowns and AS FAR. Aubrey Modiba curled in a 37th-minute free-kick at a sold-out Loftus Versfeld on 17 May 2026 for a 1-0 first-leg lead. In Rabat on 24 May, Divine Lunga brought down Reda Slim and Mohamed Hrimat converted the penalty on 40 minutes to level the tie, only for Teboho Mokoena to restore the aggregate lead with a strike off the underside of the bar in first-half stoppage time.
AS FAR were awarded a second penalty on 74 minutes when Ronwen Williams fouled Youssef El Fahli. Hrimat stepped up again — and this time Williams saved it. The title was Sundowns’ second, a decade after their 2016 win, and completed back-to-back final appearances after they lost the 2025 decider to Pyramids.
The route there was unusually open. Sundowns beat Espérance de Tunis 2-0 on aggregate in the semi-finals, with Brayan Leon scoring in both legs, while AS FAR came through an all-Moroccan tie with RS Berkane 2-1. In the quarter-finals, AS FAR removed holders Pyramids 3-2 on aggregate, Espérance knocked out Al Ahly 4-2, Berkane edged Al Hilal 2-1, and Sundowns beat Stade Malien, 3-2 on aggregate.
Mahmoud “Trezeguet” Hassan of Al Ahly finished top scorer on six goals despite his club going out in the last eight.
One point of accuracy on AS FAR: they were not first-time finalists in absolute terms. The Moroccan army club won the African Cup of Champions Clubs in 1985, beating AS Bilima 6-3 on aggregate. The 2026 final was their first of the modern era, the competition having been rebranded in 1997.
Al Ahly’s Absence: The Story of the Season
Al Ahly finished third in the Egyptian Premier League on 53 points, behind champions Zamalek on 56 and runners-up Pyramids on 54. The final standings sent Egypt’s two Champions League places to Zamalek and Pyramids, while Al Ahly dropped into the Confederation Cup.
In the Confederation Cup preliminary-round draw, Al Ahly were paired with the winner of Mogadishu City against Kitara.
CAF Champions League News — Format & Prize Money 2026/27
| Stage | Clubs | Format |
|---|---|---|
| First Preliminary Round | 58 | 29 ties, two legs |
| Second Preliminary Round | 32 | 16 ties, two legs |
| Group stage | 16 | Four groups of four |
| Quarter-finals | 8 | Two legs |
| Semi-finals | 4 | Two legs |
| Final | 2 | Two legs |
CAF’s official draw gives three clubs byes into the second preliminary round: Sundowns, Espérance de Tunis and RS Berkane. Sundowns also lead the 2026/27 CAF five-year club ranking on 73 points, ahead of the absent Al Ahly on 66, Espérance on 58 and RS Berkane on 57.
| Achievement | Prize |
|---|---|
| Champions | USD 6 |
| Runners-up | USD 2 million |
| Semi-finalists | USD 1.2 million each |
| Quarter-finalists | USD 900,000 each |
| Group stage, 3rd and 4th | USD 700,000 each |
| Eliminated in preliminaries | USD 100,000 solidarity grant |
The champions’ prize rose from USD 4 million to USD 6 million, while clubs eliminated in the preliminary rounds now receive USD 100,000. CAF reports a USD 19.6 million pool for clubs reaching the Champions League group stage and beyond. Total annual interclub investment rose from USD 19 million in 2021 to more than USD 48 million in 2026.
Key Summer 2026 Transfers
CAF’s interclub transfer round-up highlights Peter Shalulile’s move from Sundowns to Young Africans as one of the window’s headline deals. The table below lists selected confirmed senior moves for leading 2026/27 contenders as of 27 August 2026. Fees are reported figures in euros; a dash means no major departure is listed here, not that the club completed no other business.
| Club | Key arrivals | Key departures |
|---|---|---|
| Mamelodi Sundowns | Antonio Van Wyk (€1m, SV Ried); Cassius Mailula (free, Toronto); Siyanda Ndlovu (Golden Arrows) | Peter Shalulile (free, Young Africans); Thapelo Maseko (€1.5m, Copenhagen) |
| Young Africans | Peter Shalulile (free, Mamelodi Sundowns) | – |
| Orlando Pirates | Ghampani Lungu (Siwelele); Neo Rapoo (Siwelele); Sebastian Pedersen (Sogndal) | Relebohile Mofokeng (€3.5m, Union SG); Tshegofatso Mabasa (free, MAS Fes); Sipho Mbule (free, Zakho) |
| Pyramids FC | Nadhir Benbouali (€3.1m); Ahmed Abdelkader; Khaled Awad (€520,000) | Fiston Mayele (free); Marwan Hamdi |
| Zamalek SC | Ahmed Mahmoud, Mohamed Atef and Hossam Ashraf (loan returns) | Hossam Abdelmaguid (€1.5m, Ludogorets); Ahmed Hamdi |
CAF Champions League Games and Fixtures — Preliminary Rounds 2026/27
| Dates | Stage |
|---|---|
| 4-6 September 2026 | First preliminary round, first legs |
| 11-13 September 2026 | First preliminary round, second legs |
| 16-18 October 2026 | Second preliminary round, first legs |
| 23-25 October 2026 | Second preliminary round, second legs |
| 27-29 November 2026 | Group stage, Matchday 1 |
| 4-6 December 2026 | Group stage, Matchday 2 |
| 18-20 December 2026 | Group stage, Matchday 3 |
| 8-10 January 2027 | Group stage, Matchday 4 |
| 15-17 January 2027 | Group stage, Matchday 5 |
| 22-24 January 2027 | Group stage, Matchday 6 |
| 26-28 February 2027 | Quarter-finals, first legs |
| 5-7 March 2027 | Quarter-finals, second legs |
| 9-11 April 2027 | Semi-finals, first legs |
| 16-18 April 2027 | Semi-finals, second legs |
| 9-31 May 2027 | Two-legged final window; exact dates TBC |
The first-round draw was made in Cairo on 6 August 2026. The club listed hosts the opening leg first, which puts several heavyweights on the road first. Zamalek travel to AS Port of Djibouti, Orlando Pirates go to La Cure Waves in Mauritius, Simba visit Mighty Wanderers, and Young Africans face Gaborone United away. The pick of the round sends Pyramids to Nairobi to meet Gor Mahia, with the return in Egypt.
| # | Home, first leg | Away | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wiliete (Angola) | Foresters FC (Seychelles) | Winner meets Sundowns |
| 2 | Scottland FC (Zimbabwe) | Nsingizini Hotspurs (Eswatini) | |
| 3 | UD do Songo (Mozambique) | Atlético Petróleos (Angola) | |
| 4 | AS Mangasport (Gabon) | African Stars (Namibia) | |
| 5 | La Cure Waves (Mauritius) | Orlando Pirates (South Africa) | |
| 6 | 15 de Agosto (Eq. Guinea) | Fomboni FC (Comoros) | |
| 7 | Mighty Wanderers (Malawi) | Simba SC (Tanzania) | |
| 8 | CFFA (Madagascar) | Lijabatho FC (Lesotho) | |
| 9 | Gaborone United (Botswana) | Young Africans SC (Tanzania) | |
| 10 | Swehly SC (Libya) | KVZ FC (Zanzibar) | Winner meets Espérance |
| 11 | Aigles du Congo (DR Congo) | APR FC (Rwanda) | |
| 12 | AS Port (Djibouti) | Zamalek SC (Egypt) | |
| 13 | El Merriekh Bentiu (S. Sudan) | Heegan SC (Somalia) | |
| 14 | Gor Mahia FC (Kenya) | Pyramids FC (Egypt) | Marquee tie |
| 15 | Aiglons FC (Chad) | Sidaama Buna (Ethiopia) | |
| 16 | Aigle Noir CS (Burundi) | Al Hilal SC (Sudan) | |
| 17 | Star Sport Academy (Sierra Leone) | Medina United (The Gambia) | Winner meets RS Berkane |
| 18 | MAS de Fès (Morocco) | Rahimo FC (Burkina Faso) | |
| 19 | ASCK (Togo) | ASEC Mimosas (Côte d’Ivoire) | |
| 20 | FC Canchungo (Guinea-Bissau) | Teungueth FC (Senegal) | |
| 21 | Colombe Sportive (Cameroon) | Stade Malien (Mali) | |
| 22 | Rangers International FC (Nigeria) | SOBEMAP FC (Benin) | NPFL champions |
| 23 | ASN Nigelec (Niger) | MC Alger (Algeria) | |
| 24 | FC San Pédro (Côte d’Ivoire) | Rivers United (Nigeria) | |
| 25 | Vipers SC (Uganda) | FC Nouadhibou (Mauritania) | |
| 26 | JS Saoura (Algeria) | Horoya AC (Guinea) | |
| 27 | Al Merriekh SC (Sudan) | Power Dynamos (Zambia) | |
| 28 | Medeama SC (Ghana) | TP Mazembe (DR Congo) | Heavyweight clash |
| 29 | Club Africain (Tunisia) | Djoliba AC (Mali) |
One naming point worth clearing up: Foresters FC are from Seychelles, not Uganda. CAF’s official draw lists them as the Seychelles entrant, and some regional outlets have carried the error. Sierra Leone are represented by Star Sport Academy, who took the place of national champions Bo Rangers after they withdrew before the draw for financial reasons.
The full second-round bracket, decided by the same Cairo draw, reads as follows.
| Tie A | Tie B |
|---|---|
| Wiliete or Foresters FC | Mamelodi Sundowns |
| Scottland or Nsingizini Hotspurs | UD do Songo or Atlético Petróleos |
| AS Mangasport or African Stars | La Cure Waves or Orlando Pirates |
| 15 de Agosto or Fomboni FC | Mighty Wanderers or Simba SC |
| CFFA or Lijabatho FC | Gaborone United or Young Africans |
| Swehly SC or KVZ FC | Espérance de Tunis |
| Aigles du Congo or APR FC | AS Port or Zamalek SC |
| El Merriekh Bentiu or Heegan SC | Gor Mahia or Pyramids FC |
| Aiglons FC or Sidaama Buna | Aigle Noir or Al Hilal SC |
| Star Sport Academy or Medina United | RS Berkane |
| MAS de Fès or Rahimo FC | ASCK or ASEC Mimosas |
| FC Canchungo or Teungueth FC | Colombe Sportive or Stade Malien |
| Rangers International or SOBEMAP | ASN Nigelec or MC Alger |
| FC San Pédro or Rivers United | Vipers SC or FC Nouadhibou |
| JS Saoura or Horoya AC | Al Merriekh SC or Power Dynamos |
| Medeama SC or TP Mazembe | Club Africain or Djoliba AC |
CAF Champions League Group Stage 2026/27
Sixteen clubs, the winners of the 16 second-round ties, go into four groups of four. Each plays six matches, home and away against the other three. The CAF Champions League table in each group ranks clubs by played, won, drawn, lost, goals for, goals against, goal difference and points. Under the CAF Champions League regulations, the four group winners and four runners-up advance to the quarter-finals; 3rd and 4th are eliminated.
CAF’s published match calendar schedules group Matchdays 1-3 for 27-29 November, 4-6 December and 18-20 December 2026. Matchdays 4-6 follow on 8-10, 15-17 and 22-24 January 2027. The quarter-finals are set for 26-28 February and 5-7 March, the semi-finals for 9-11 and 16-18 April, and the two-legged final falls within 9-31 May 2027. Exact final dates remain to be confirmed.
The group-stage draw date had not been announced as of 27 August 2026. Last season’s equivalent draw took place on 3 November 2025, roughly three weeks after the second round finished, so early November is a reasonable working estimate rather than a confirmed date.
Sundowns, Espérance and RS Berkane are favoured to reach the last 16, with Zamalek, Pyramids, Orlando Pirates, Young Africans, Simba and the Medeama or TP Mazembe winner among the strongest challengers.
CAF Champions League Prediction 2026/27 — Who Will Win?
Mamelodi Sundowns
The champions are the benchmark. Sundowns top the five-year club ranking on 73 points and have reached the last two finals. This summer they added Antonio Van Wyk, Cassius Mailula and Siyanda Ndlovu, although Peter Shalulile and Thapelo Maseko are major attacking departures.
They should still be strong favourites against Wiliete or Foresters in the second round. The calendar is the main risk: the CAF Super Cup against USM Alger on 8 November, the FIFA Intercontinental Cup in December and domestic commitments create a demanding run.
Espérance de Tunis
Espérance have four titles, behind only Al Ahly’s 12 and Zamalek’s five among the clubs entered this season, and reached the semi-finals last season before losing to the eventual winners. Laurentiu Reghecampf returns as head coach for 2026/27, confirmed by the club in July.
They finished as Tunisian league runners-up behind Club Africain but won the Tunisian Cup and Super Cup, and their second-round tie against Swehly or KVZ is comfortable on paper. With Al Ahly absent, their window is open.
Zamalek SC
Zamalek return to the Champions League after a spell in the Confederation Cup, and they arrive as Egyptian champions on 56 points, sealed on the final day with a 1-0 win over Ceramica Cleopatra. Five continental titles sit in the cabinet, and they conceded just 17 goals last season, the best defensive record in the Egyptian Premier League. Motamed Gamal stays in charge. The trip to AS Port of Djibouti is manageable, and Egyptian expectations now rest entirely on them.
Dark horse: Pyramids, winners in 2024/25, have refreshed the squad with Nadhir Benbouali and Ahmed Abdelkader but lost Fiston Mayele. They remain dangerous if they navigate the difficult opening tie against Gor Mahia.
Our pick is Sundowns. Their coefficient lead, recent consistency and squad depth make them the most convincing choice, even after Shalulile’s departure. As an editorial view rather than a certainty, Espérance are the strongest alternative because of their four-title pedigree and favourable path. Follow the competition as it unfolds on 22Bet.
Crédito: Link de origem