CAF announce kick-off times for Champions League preliminary round games

The 2026-27 TotalEnergies CAF Champions League gets under way this weekend, with 29 first-leg matches scheduled across the continent as clubs begin their pursuit of a place in the group stage.

The opening fixtures will be played from Friday, 4 September to Sunday, 6 September, with the return legs scheduled for 11-13 September. CAF has confirmed the kick-off times for all the matches, with the times listed in GMT.

One of the standout ties of the opening round will see Ghanaian champions Medeama SC host five-time African champions TP Mazembe at the TNA Park in Tarkwa on Sunday.

The match is scheduled for 15:00 GMT (3pm Ghana time) and represents a major test for Medeama as they begin their campaign against one of the most decorated clubs in African football. The fixture list confirms the meeting for Sunday, 6 September.

CAF has also appointed a team of Nigerian officials for the encounter, with Joseph Odey Ogabor named as the centre referee.

Medeama, who won the Ghana Premier League title last season, will be hoping to make home advantage count before travelling to the Democratic Republic of Congo for the second leg.

The winner of the tie will face either Tunisia’s Club Africain or Mali’s Djoliba AC in the second preliminary round.

Zamalek begin campaign away

Egyptian giants Zamalek will also be in action on Friday when they travel to face AS Port of Djibouti.

That match is scheduled for 17:00 GMT, while Algeria’s JS Saoura will host Guinea’s Horoya AC at 18:00 GMT on the same day.

Friday’s other fixture will see Libya’s Swehly SC take on KVZ FC at 17:00 GMT.

A busy Saturday programme includes several heavyweight encounters, with FC San Pedro facing Nigeria’s Rivers United, Vipers SC meeting FC Nouadhibou, Gaborone United taking on Young Africans, and Club Africain hosting Djoliba AC.

Kenyan champions Gor Mahia will also face Egyptian side Pyramids FC at 12:00 GMT, while Sudanese giants Al Merriekh take on Zambia’s Power Dynamos at 17:00 GMT.

29 first-leg matches across Africa

Sunday’s schedule is headlined by the Medeama-Mazembe clash but also features a number of other significant fixtures.

Orlando Pirates begin their campaign away to La Cure Waves at 11:30 GMT, while Gor Mahia and Pyramids are among the clubs involved in the weekend’s headline ties.

Other Sunday matches include:

Mighty Wanderers vs Simba SC – 13:00 GMT

Les Aigles du Congo vs APR FC – 14:00 GMT

Medeama SC vs TP Mazembe – 15:00 GMT

Rangers International vs SOBEMAP FC – 15:00 GMT

Colombe Sportive du Dja et Lobo vs Stade Malien – 15:00 GMT

Wiliete de Benguela vs Foresters FC – 15:00 GMT

ASCK vs ASEC Mimosas – 15:30 GMT

ASN Nigelec vs MC Alger – 15:30 GMT

MAS de Fès vs Rahimo FC – 19:00 GMT.

Full Fixtures:

The opening round features 61 clubs, although defending champions Mamelodi Sundowns, Tunisia’s Espérance Sportive de Tunis and Morocco’s RS Berkane have received byes into the second preliminary round.

CAF says clubs eliminated during the preliminary rounds will receive $100,000 in financial support to assist with travel and other logistical costs.

The 16 clubs that survive the preliminary rounds will progress to the group stage, with the second preliminary round scheduled for 16-18 October, followed by the return legs from 23-25 October.

For Medeama, however, the immediate priority will be negotiating what promises to be one of the toughest ties of the opening round.

A strong result against TP Mazembe at home could give the Ghanaian champions an important advantage before the return leg in Lubumbashi, while defeat would leave them facing a difficult task in the second encounter.

The Champions League campaign therefore begins with a major African test for Medeama, who will be aiming to carry Ghana’s hopes deep into the continent’s premier club competition.