CAF Confederation Cup draw: Al Ahly await Somali-Ugandan winner as ZED face Djibouti test

Al Ahly will begin their CAF Confederation Cup campaign in the round of 32 against the winner of the tie between Somalia’s Mogadishu and Uganda’s Kitara, while ZED FC have been drawn against Djibouti’s Telecom Djibouti in the first preliminary round.

The draw has confirmed the possible route for Al Ahly, who enter the competition at the round-of-32 stage. ZED, meanwhile, must first negotiate a two-legged round-of-64 tie before they can face Tanzanian side Azam in the next round.

The first legs of the round-of-64 ties will be played between 4 and 6 September, with the return matches scheduled for 11 to 13 September.

Round-of-32 first legs will take place between 16 and 18 October, followed by the second legs from 23 to 25 October.

Al Ahly’s opening opponents will be decided by the result of Mogadishu’s meeting with Kitara. ZED will have to overcome Telecom Djibouti to set up a round-of-32 tie with Azam.

The leading ties from the draw include:

– Al Ahly v winner of Mogadishu and Kitara – Azam v winner of ZED and Telecom Djibouti – AS FAR Rabat v winner of FC Khorogo and PSI Chad – USM Alger v winner of ASPAC and The Panthers – CR Belouizdad v winner of Douanes and Hafia Conakry – Raja Casablanca v winner of Kano Pillars and D’Jabi – AS Maniema Union v winner of UNAM and Kabuscorp – Kaizer Chiefs v winner of Elgeco Plus and Red Arrows – CS Sfaxien or Shooting Stars v Amadou Diallo Academy or East End Lions

The clubs placed directly into the round of 32 will wait for the winners of their respective first-round ties before beginning their campaigns.

Alongside Al Ahly, Azam, AS FAR Rabat, USM Alger, CR Belouizdad, Raja Casablanca, AS Maniema Union and Kaizer Chiefs have all secured direct passage to the round of 32.

The competition winners will receive a prize of $4m. Clubs eliminated in the preliminary round will be awarded $100,000.

USM Alger are the holders of the CAF Confederation Cup.

The draw was held on Thursday, 6 August 2026, with the new campaign set to begin in September. Al Ahly will therefore have additional time to prepare for their first match, while ZED face an earlier start because of their participation in the preliminary stage.