CAF has confirmed the date of the group stage draw for the Champions League (C1) and the Confederation Cup (C2), set for Wednesday 28 October 2026 in Cairo, with VAR introduced from the group stage.
Before the balls come out, the last tickets for the group stage are being decided on the pitch. The second legs of the second preliminary round are played from 23 to 25 October 2026 to award the 16 remaining group-stage tickets, Footafrica.net reports.
The ceremony will be broadcast live on the official CAF TV platforms, according to CAF Online. It will precede the formation of the four groups of four teams, a step the competition awaits with unprecedented popular enthusiasm.
VAR takes the stage from the group stage
The continental body has confirmed the introduction of the video assistant referee system from the group stage, in both competitions, Footafrica.net indicates. A new feature that accompanies the formation of the four groups of four teams.
CAF’s competitions department has sent formal invitations to member national associations, including the Sudanese federation SFA, according to Sudanhorizon. These official steps accompany the preparation of the ceremony, set for Cairo.
Al Ahly, Sundowns and Espérance Sportive de Tunis at the top
Among the African heavyweights already qualified, Al Ahly, Mamelodi Sundowns and Espérance Sportive de Tunis feature in Pot 1, according to Footafrica.net. These three clubs thus open the list of the most awaited qualifiers for the group stage.
Financially, the eventual winner of the Champions League will pocket a record prize of 6 million dollars, Footafrica.net reports. The overall allocation provided by CAF to boost the interclub competitions now exceeds 48 million dollars per season, according to CAF Online.
The competition is recording unprecedented popular enthusiasm as the groups take shape, Sudanhorizon stresses. The top two in each group will qualify for the quarter-finals in the spring, according to Footafrica.net.
A deadline for the preliminaries
The preliminary rounds close on 25 October 2026, three days before the Cairo ceremony. It is at the end of these second legs that the sixteen group-stage tickets will be officially awarded.
The 28 October draw, broadcast on CAF TV, will determine the composition of the four groups of four teams.