Shooting Stars and CS Sfaxien begin CAF Confederation Cup battle for next round

Shooting Stars will host Tunisia’s CS Sfaxien on Saturday as the two clubs begin their first-round preliminary tie in the CAF Confederation Cup.

The opening leg will be played at 15:00 GMT on 5 September 2026 at the MKO Abiola Stadium in Ibadan, where the Nigerian side will look to make home advantage count.

Known as the Oluyole Warriors, Shooting Stars are expected to draw confidence from playing in front of their own supporters. The Ibadan club will aim to produce a strong performance and put pressure on their Tunisian opponents from the start of the two-match contest.

The match represents the first step in a qualifying campaign that could take either side closer to the group stages of Africa’s main club competition. With the tie decided over two legs, Shooting Stars will be seeking a result that leaves them in a favourable position before the return fixture.

CS Sfaxien, who are widely known by the nickname Ceistes, travel from Tunisia determined to keep their hopes of progressing alive. Their priority will be to avoid giving Shooting Stars a significant advantage in the opening encounter and ensure the tie remains finely balanced ahead of the second meeting.

The winner of the two-leg confrontation will move closer to reaching the group stages of the CAF Confederation Cup. Both teams therefore arrive in Ibadan with clear ambitions, although the immediate focus will be on securing the best possible outcome from the first match.

For Shooting Stars, the occasion offers an opportunity to use their home setting to establish an early advantage. Their supporters will hope the Oluyole Warriors can respond with the intensity required to overcome CS Sfaxien and carry momentum into the return leg.

CS Sfaxien, meanwhile, will attempt to manage the demands of an away tie while protecting their chances of advancing. The Tunisian side’s objective is to leave Nigeria with the contest still open, giving them a platform from which to continue the challenge in the second leg.

The match at the MKO Abiola Stadium will therefore set the tone for the remainder of the preliminary-round battle. A positive result for either side would provide an important boost in a competition where progression is determined across the two fixtures.

With a place in the next stage at stake, Shooting Stars and CS Sfaxien begin their pursuit of a route towards the CAF Confederation Cup group stages in Ibadan on Saturday.