CAF draw: African Champions League and Confederation Cup contenders to discover routes on 6 August

The Confederation of African Football (CAF) will hold the preliminary-round draws for the 2026-27 CAF Champions League and CAF Confederation Cup in Cairo on Thursday, 6 August 2026.

The ceremony will take place at CAF headquarters in the Egyptian capital, with representatives of the clubs involved in both competitions expected to attend.

The CAF Confederation Cup draw is scheduled to begin at 14:00 Cairo time, followed by the CAF Champions League draw at 15:00.

The event will establish the opening paths for clubs seeking to progress through the preliminary stages of Africa’s two leading club competitions. Teams involved will be looking to negotiate their first major hurdle and secure a place in the group stage.

The holders of the CAF Champions League will enter the new campaign seeking to retain their continental status, while the other participating clubs will begin their attempts to advance towards the competition’s main phase.

The financial rewards remain a major incentive for the clubs. The CAF Champions League winners will receive a prize of $6m, while the champions of the CAF Confederation Cup will collect $4m.

CAF also confirmed that every club eliminated from either competition during the preliminary rounds will receive a solidarity payment of $100,000.

The governing body said the payment was intended to support participating clubs and contribute to the development of club competitions across the continent. It will apply to teams whose campaigns end before they reach the later stages of the tournaments.

Mamelodi Sundowns are the reigning CAF Champions League holders, having won the title in the previous campaign. USM Alger hold the CAF Confederation Cup crown.

Both clubs will therefore be central figures in the build-up to the new season, although the preliminary-round draw will determine the opening challenges facing the wider field of entrants.

The two competitions form the centrepiece of CAF’s annual club calendar, with teams from across Africa competing for continental honours and the financial rewards attached to success.

The draw arrangements mean the Confederation Cup pairings will be revealed first in Cairo, before attention turns to the Champions League one hour later. Club officials attending the ceremony will learn the opponents standing between their teams and a place in the group stage.

CAF’s announcement provides the first fixed date for the 2026-27 edition of the two tournaments. With the draw taking place at the organisation’s headquarters, participating clubs will have their initial routes mapped out as they prepare for the new continental campaign.