Stade Ahmadou Ahidjo set for Colombe Sportive’s CAF Champions League opener

Colombe Sportive du Dja-et-Lobo begin their CAF Champions League campaign against Stade Malien on Sunday, with both sides meeting in the first preliminary round of the competition.

The first leg will be played at 15:00 GMT at Stade Ahmadou Ahidjo in Yaounde, Cameroon, as the Cameroonian club welcomes the visitors from Mali for the opening match of a crucial two-legged tie.

The fixture represents the first part of a decisive continental contest, with the outcome set to shape both teams’ hopes of progressing in the CAF Champions League. Neither side can settle the tie in Yaounde, but the result could give one of them an important advantage before the return meeting.

Stade Malien will arrive from Bamako determined to take a positive result back to Mali. The visitors, known as the Whites of Bamako, will be looking to make their away performance count and put themselves in a strong position for the second leg.

For Colombe Sportive, the home fixture offers an opportunity to make the most of familiar surroundings. The club’s players, nicknamed the Southern Birds, are expected to draw confidence from the support of their home crowd as they attempt to gain the upper hand at the first opportunity.

The match therefore carries significance beyond the opening 90 minutes. Colombe Sportive du Dja-et-Lobo must use home advantage effectively, while Stade Malien will aim to frustrate their hosts and secure the kind of result that would strengthen their position in the tie.

With the two clubs meeting for the first act of their preliminary-round contest, the encounter at Stade Ahmadou Ahidjo will begin the battle for a place in the next stage of the CAF Champions League. The sides will have to balance the need to attack with the importance of avoiding a damaging result before the return fixture.

Kick-off in Yaounde is scheduled for 15:00 GMT on Sunday, 6 September 2026.