AS du Port aim to upset Zamalek in uneven CAF Champions League tie

AS du Port will attempt to unsettle Egyptian giants Zamalek SC when the two sides meet in the first leg of their 2026-27 CAF Champions League first qualifying round tie on Friday.

The Djibouti club, also known as AS du Port / TACO of Djibouti, face one of the most formidable names in the history of African club football. Zamalek SC’s record of success in the competition places the Cairo side among the continent’s established powers, while AS du Port are still seeking to establish themselves at the highest level of African football.

The match will begin at 17:00 GMT on Friday, 4 September 2026, with AS du Port hoping home advantage can provide the platform for an upset before the return leg in Cairo.

On paper, the two-leg contest appears heavily weighted in favour of the Egyptian club. Zamalek SC arrive with a far stronger profile in the CAF Champions League, having built a reputation through multiple triumphs in the competition. AS du Port, by contrast, are still working to find their footing and secure a place among Africa’s elite.

That difference in experience makes the tie a major challenge for the Djibouti side. Progress will require AS du Port to produce an exceptional performance across the two matches, beginning with the home fixture and followed by a difficult trip to the Egyptian capital.

The first meeting gives the hosts an opportunity to challenge the expected order of the tie. A positive result would give AS du Port something to defend in Cairo, although the scale of the task remains clear given Zamalek SC’s continental standing.

The fixture is also a new contest between the clubs. With no previous meeting identified in the source material, Friday’s match represents the first chapter of an unfamiliar rivalry between a Djibouti team looking to make its mark and a Cairo institution with a long record of achievement.

For AS du Port, the priority will be to use their home setting to narrow the gap suggested by the clubs’ contrasting histories. They must find a way to contain a Zamalek SC team accustomed to the demands of the CAF Champions League while creating enough pressure to disrupt the visitors’ plans.

Zamalek SC will instead be expected to draw on their experience and impose their authority over the tie from the opening leg. Their objective will be to leave Djibouti in a strong position ahead of the return fixture in Cairo.

The match forms part of the opening qualifying stage of the 2026-27 CAF Champions League. It is a first-leg encounter in a two-match contest, with the result in Djibouti setting the context for the decisive return meeting.