TP Mazembe face early test in CAF Champions League as Mamelodi Sundowns land favourable draw

TP Mazembe will begin their return to the CAF Champions League against Medeama SC, while Mamelodi Sundowns, Esperance Tunis and RS Berkane have been handed favourable routes into the group stage.

The draw for the first two preliminary rounds of the 2026-27 CAF Champions League was held on Thursday, producing mixed fortunes for the leading contenders.

Five-time African champions TP Mazembe must first overcome a difficult tie against Medeama SC of Ghana. If they progress, the Democratic Republic of the Congo club will face the winners of Club Africain of Tunisia and Djoliba AC of Mali in the second round.

The draw was made without record 12-time winners Al Ahly and AS FAR Rabat, who both failed to qualify. That allowed three prominent sides to enter the competition at the second preliminary-round stage: defending champions Mamelodi Sundowns, RS Berkane and Esperance Tunis.

Mamelodi Sundowns, the 2025 African champions, have been given what appears to be the clearest path of the three. They will meet the winners of Wiliete Benguela of Angola and Foresters FC of the Seychelles, with both potential opponents considered outsiders on paper.

Esperance Tunis will play either Libya’s Swehly SC or KVZ FC of Zanzibar. RS Berkane, meanwhile, have been drawn against the winners of Star Sport Academy of Sierra Leone and Medina United FC of The Gambia.

Those three ties give the leading clubs a strong opportunity to reach the group stage, although they must still wait for the first-round results to establish their opponents.

MC Alger have also been handed a promising route. The Algerian champions will face ASN Nigelec of Niger in the opening round. Should they qualify, they will then meet either Rangers International of Nigeria or AS Sobemap of Benin.

The outlook is less encouraging for Algeria’s other representative, JS Saoura. They start against Guinean club Horoya AC, who have considerable experience in continental competition despite a decline in recent years. A second-round tie would bring either Al Merriekh SC of Sudan or Power Dynamos of Zambia.

Al Merriekh SC are regulars in the group stage, meaning JS Saoura face a demanding route even if they get past Horoya AC.

Another challenging draw awaits the Aigles du Congo. They must first beat APR FC of Rwanda before potentially facing Egyptian giants Zamalek. That meeting can only take place if Zamalek defeat AS Port of Djibouti.

ASEC Mimosas of Ivory Coast have also been drawn into a potentially difficult sequence. Their campaign begins against ASCK of Togo, but victory could set up a second-round meeting with MAS de Fes, the Moroccan champions. MAS de Fes must first eliminate Rahimo FC.

Stade Malien, quarter-finalists in the previous edition, will open against Colombe Sportive of Cameroon. If the Bamako-based side advance, they could face Teungueth FC in a West African derby, provided the Senegalese champions beat FC Canchungo of Guinea-Bissau.

The first-leg matches in the opening preliminary round will take place from 4 to 6 September, with the return legs scheduled for 11 to 13 September.

The second preliminary round will be played between 16 and 18 October for the first legs, followed by the return matches from 23 to 25 October.

At the conclusion of the two preliminary rounds, 16 teams will qualify for the group stage of the CAF Champions League.