CAF has officially confirmed the date for the group stage draws of the Champions League and the Confederation Cup: Wednesday 28 October 2026, in Cairo.
The Confederation of African Football has officially scheduled the group stage draws of the Champions League and the Confederation Cup for Wednesday 28 October 2026, according to Sudanhorizon. The ceremony will be held at the organisation’s headquarters in Cairo, Egypt.
CAF’s competitions department has already sent formal invitations to member national associations, starting with the Sudanese Football Association (SFA), whose clubs are competing in the second preliminary round. Before learning their opponents, the clubs still in the running must first secure their place: the second legs of this round are scheduled for 23 to 25 October 2026, just days before the ceremony.
Sixteen tickets still up for grabs
According to Foot Africa and Sudanhorizon, the draw will take place immediately after the conclusion of these return legs. Sixteen clubs will secure their ticket to the group stage in each of the two continental competitions, CAF Online recalls. The line-up for each competition will therefore only be complete once these matches are over.
The continent’s heavyweights are therefore still waiting. Al Ahly, defending champions Mamelodi Sundowns and Espérance de Tunis are waiting to learn their opponents for the group stage.
VAR takes the stage
CAF has confirmed the introduction of the video assistant referee (VAR) system from the group stage in both of its competitions, Foot Africa reports.
On the financial side, the eventual winner of the Champions League will pocket a historic prize of 6 million dollars, according to Foot Africa. CAF Online puts the overall investment in perspective: more than 48 million dollars per season have been allocated by the organisation to boost the value of the interclub competitions.
A busy month ahead
Before thinking about the groups, the matter on the pitch must be settled. The second legs of the second preliminary round of the Champions League and the CAF Cup will be played from 23 to 25 October 2026. It is at the end of these three days that the last qualifiers will be known.
The group stage of the 2026-2027 CAF interclub competitions is scheduled to kick off at the end of November 2026, around a month after the Cairo ceremony, Foot Africa specifies.