CAF confirms kick-off times for Confederation Cup preliminary-round matches

The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has confirmed the dates and kick-off times for the first-leg matches in the opening preliminary round of the 2026-27 CAF Confederation Cup.

The first-leg fixtures will be played from Friday, 4 September to Sunday, 6 September, with the return matches scheduled for 11-13 September. CAF’s official calendar confirms that the first preliminary round is the opening stage of the 2026-27 competition.

All kick-off times in CAF’s fixture schedule are listed in GMT.

The opening matches on Friday include AS PSI of Chad against Côte d’Ivoire’s CO de Korhogo, which kicks off at 14:30 GMT.

At the same time, Tunisia’s ES de Zarzis will host Senegalese side Diambars FC, while AS Port Louis 2000 of Mauritius face Botswana’s Jwaneng Galaxy at 15:00.

Cameroon will also be represented on Friday, with Panthere Sportive taking on Rwanda’s Rayon Sport FC at 15:00, while Sudan’s Al Hilal Alsahel meet Ethiopia’s Welwalo Adigrat USC at 17:00.

Nations FC begin African campaign

Ghanaian FA Cup winners Nations FC will begin their continental campaign on Saturday, 5 September, when they travel to Mali to face FC Diarra.

The match is scheduled for 16:00 GMT and represents Nations FC’s first step in their bid to reach the group stage of the Confederation Cup.

Nations FC were drawn against the Malian club in the first preliminary round following CAF’s draw for the 2026-27 competition.

The other Saturday fixtures include Atomic Ngome against Uganda’s A. Black Bulls at 12:00, while KMKM SC of Zanzibar face Libya’s Al Ahly Tripoli at 13:00.

At the same time, Zambia’s Red Arrows FC will host Madagascar’s FC Rouge, while Eswatini’s Green Mamba face Angola’s CD 1 Agosto.

Nigeria’s Shooting Stars SC will also be in action, hosting Tunisia’s CS Sfaxien at 15:00 GMT.

Namibia’s UNAM take on Angola’s Kabuscorp de P. at the same time, while Niger’s AS ZAM face Togo’s ASKO de Kara at 15:30.

There are two further matches later in the day, with AS Douanes of Mauritania meeting Guinea’s Hafia FC at 16:00 and FC Diarra facing Nations FC at the same time.

Full weekend schedule

On Sunday, 6 September, the first-leg programme continues with Mogadishu CC against Kitara FC at 13:00.

South Africa’s Durban City FC face Burundi’s Rukinzo FC, while DR Congo’s DC Virunga meet PTL Bazar Brothers of the Seychelles.

Sudan’s Al-Ghazala SC take on Tanzania’s Singida Black Stars at 13:30, followed by Al Ahli Madani against Tusker FC at 14:00.

Nigeria’s El Kanemi Warriors will face Cameroonian side UDIB at 15:00, while Sierra Leone’s AF Amadou Diallo host East End Lions FC at 16:00.

Burkina Faso’s Vitesse FC will meet Mali’s AS Real Bamako at 16:00, before Egypt’s ZED FC host ASAS Djibouti Télécom at 17:00.

One fixture remains to be confirmed, with The Panthers FC of Equatorial Guinea scheduled to face Benin’s ASPAC FC.

The Confederation Cup features clubs from across the continent competing for progression through the preliminary rounds and ultimately a place in the group stage. The 2026-27 competition has 56 clubs from 44 associations, with the highest-ranked teams entering at a later stage.

The first preliminary-round ties will be played over two legs, with the winners advancing to the next stage. The second legs are scheduled for 11-13 September before the competition moves towards the second preliminary round in October.

For Nations FC, the immediate priority will be to secure a positive result away from home against FC Diarra before the return fixture in Ghana the following week.