CAF Confederation Cup draw: Freddy Kouablan says preliminary round ties are evenly matched

Ceramica Cleopatra defender Freddy Kouablan believes there is little to separate the teams drawn in the preliminary rounds of the 2026/27 CAF Confederation Cup, insisting every tie presents a similar level of difficulty.

Kouablan, who assisted with Thursday’s draw at the Confederation of African Football (CAF) headquarters in Cairo, shared his assessment after the pairings were confirmed for the opening two rounds of the competition.

The draw set up several intriguing fixtures involving clubs from across the continent, with 56 teams set to compete for a place in the lucrative group stage.

‘The teams are at the same level’

Reflecting on the draw, Kouablan said no particular fixture stood out above the others, describing the competition as evenly balanced.

“Honestly, I don’t see any team as being above the others. All the matches are okay for me; they’re at the same kind of level. I think the match against AS Port Louis and the one involving Jwaneng Galaxy will be good matches. AS Port Louis, because I’ve been there before, so I know them. They will be good matches.”

The former AS Port Louis player believes familiarity with his former club makes their tie one of the contests he will follow closely during the opening round.

CAF confirms preliminary-round fixtures

CAF’s draw confirmed that 48 clubs will contest the first preliminary round in 24 two-legged ties, with the winners progressing to face the eight highest-ranked clubs that received byes into the second preliminary round.

Defending champions USM Alger headline the seeded teams alongside Al Ahly, Raja Casablanca, AS FAR, CR Belouizdad, Azam, Maniema Union and Kaizer Chiefs.

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

The second preliminary round is set for October 16 to 18, with the decisive return fixtures taking place between October 23 and 25.

The eventual winners of the competition will receive a prize of $4 million, while clubs eliminated during the preliminary rounds will each earn a $100,000 solidarity payment as part of CAF’s financial support programme.