The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has officially announced that the 2025/26 CAF Champions League and Confederation Cup competitions will commence in September.
The shift in the calendar is due to the scheduling of the African Nations Championship (CHAN), which is set to take place in August.
CAF has outlined the following schedule for the interclub tournaments:
Preliminary Rounds
First Preliminary Round:
- First leg: September 19–21, 2025
- Second leg: September 26–28, 2025
- Second Preliminary Round:
- First leg: October 17–19, 2025
- Second leg: October 24–26, 2025
Group Stage Matches
- Matchday 1: November 21–23, 2025
- Matchday 2: November 28–30, 2025
- Matchday 3: January 23–25, 2026
- Matchday 4: January 30–February 1, 2026
- Matchday 5: February 6–8, 2026
- Matchday 6: February 13–15, 2026
Knockout Phase
Quarter-finals:
- First leg: March 13–15, 2026
- Second leg: March 20–22, 2026
- Semi-finals:
- First leg: April 10–12, 2026
- Second leg: April 17–19, 2026
- Final: Scheduled to be played between May 8 and 24, 2026
Player Registration Periods
CAF also confirmed the registration windows for participating clubs:
- Preliminary Round Registration: August 1–31, 2025
- Second Preliminary Round Registration: September 1–30, 2025
- Group Stage Registration: October 1–31, 2025
- Knockout Stage Registration: January 1–31, 2026
These dates are intended to streamline preparations and ensure a smooth competition amid a packed football calendar.
