CAF confirms 2025/26 Champions League quarter-final dates and kick-off times

The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has officially finalized the kick-off dates and times for the 2025/26 TotalEnergies CAF Champions League quarter-finals, providing the eight remaining elite clubs with the definitive roadmap for their knockout campaigns.

Following the high-profile draw held in Cairo last month, the continental governing body has now locked in the specific timings for both the first and second-leg fixtures, which are set to take place across two action-packed weekends in March 2026.

The quarter-final stage will officially commence on Friday, March 13, 2026, with a double-header of first-leg encounters. In a match that has captured significant attention in Southern Africa, Mamelodi Sundowns will host the tournament’s surprise package, Stade Malien, at Loftus Versfeld in Pretoria at 18:00 GMT.

Simultaneously, Moroccan giants AS FAR will welcome Egyptian side Pyramids FC for a North African derby, with that fixture also scheduled for a late evening kick-off to maximize broadcast reach across the region.

The weekend’s opening leg matches continue on Saturday, March 14, when Morocco’s RS Berkane plays host to Sudan’s Al Hilal SC at 22:00 GMT. The first-leg cycle concludes on Sunday, March 15, with perhaps the most anticipated heavyweight clash of the round: 12-time record champions Al Ahly FC traveling to Tunisia to face ES Tunis. This high-stakes encounter is scheduled for 21:00 GMT at the Hammadi Agrebi Stadium, where Al Ahly will look to secure a crucial away advantage before returning to Cairo for the second leg.

Return fixtures are slated to begin just six days later, on Friday, March 20, though the bulk of the decisive second legs will be played on March 21 and 22. Notably, the return match between Pyramids FC and AS FAR will take place on Saturday, March 21, at 16:00 GMT, followed by the second leg of the ES Tunis versus Al Ahly tie at 19:00 GMT.

The quarter-final stage will reach its dramatic conclusion on Sunday, March 22, with Al Hilal SC hosting RS Berkane and Stade Malien welcoming Mamelodi Sundowns in Bamako, both scheduled for 16:00 GMT kick-offs.

These confirmed schedules are a critical step in a tournament calendar that was adjusted earlier this season to accommodate the African Nations Championship (CHAN).

Winners of these four quarter-final ties will immediately turn their attention to the semi-finals, which are currently scheduled for mid-April, leading up to the two-legged final on May 15 and 24, 2026.