CAF Announces Dates for the Draw of the 2025-2026 CAF Champions League and Confederation Cup

The Confederation of African Football (CAF) officially announced today, Wednesday, the scheduled date for the draw of both the CAF Champions League and the CAF Confederation Cup for the 2025-2026 football season. This marks a significant step ahead of the continental competitions, which attract widespread attention from football fans across Africa.

The preliminary round draw is set to take place next Saturday, August 9, in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania’s capital, at 1:00 PM Cairo time. This event will be a decisive occasion to determine the initial matchups that will set the course for the competing teams on their journey to the continental titles.

Live Broadcast and Open Access for African Football Fans

CAF confirmed that the draw will be broadcast live on its official YouTube channel, providing fans and stakeholders full transparency and the opportunity to follow the event in real time and learn about the match pairings as they are announced.

Preliminary Round and Upcoming Match Dates

The first preliminary round of both competitions will kick off on September 19, 2025, with teams competing fiercely to advance. The second preliminary round will follow on October 17, 2025. These stages are critical as teams aim to qualify for the group stage, which is widely regarded as one of the most exciting and competitive phases of both tournaments.

Group Stage Launch and Knockout Phase

CAF confirmed that the group stage for both the Champions League and the Confederation Cup will begin on November 21, 2025. Teams will compete for the top spots in their groups and qualification to the knockout rounds, which are scheduled to start on March 13, 2026. This period represents a crucial turning point, with direct elimination matches that decide the finalists.

Egyptian Clubs’ Participation and Continental Impact

Egypt is strongly represented in the continental competitions. In the Champions League, Al Ahly and Pyramids FC will participate, with the reigning champion starting their campaign from the preliminary round, reflecting the intensity of the competition among Egyptian clubs on the African stage.

In the Confederation Cup, Zamalek and Al Masry SC are the Egyptian representatives, both aiming to achieve distinguished results that uphold Egypt’s proud football history and raise the country’s flag high across the continent.