CAF Interclub season: Dates for Champions League and Confederation Cup

13 Juli 2026 pukul 01.54

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Sundowns are the defending continental champions and will return to try to claim back-to-back titles, something that would be a first for a South African club.

Pirates take their place as winners of the Betway Premiership in 2025/26, in which they pipped Sundowns to the trophy.

South Africa will also be represented by Kaizer Chiefs, who finished third in the league, and Nedbank Cup winners Durban City in the CAF Confederation Cup, which runs concurrently with the Champions League.

Chiefs reached the group stages last season but did not advance, while Durban City are making their debut in the competition after their cup triumph.

CAF has yet to conduct the draw for either competition, but you would assume Sundowns, as the number-one ranked club on the continent, would receive a bye through the first round. Chiefs would likely be granted the same in the Confederation Cup.

The first round in both competitions is due to be staged over the weekends of 4-6 and 11-13 September. The second round, in which all teams will be entered, will be played over the weekends of 16-18 and 23-25 October.

The 16 teams that advance from that round will enter the group stages, which kick off a month later on the weekend of 27-29 November. The first three rounds will be played before Christmas, with 4-6 December and 18-20 December also utilised.

The competitions will then take a short break before the second half of the group stages is completed on 8-10, 15-17 and 22-24 January 2027.

Eight teams in each competition will then advance to the knockout rounds, which start with the quarter-finals on 26-28 February for the first legs and 5-7 March for the return matches.

The semi-finals will be played on 9-11 and 16-18 April, while the finals of both competitions will be staged between 9 and 31 May.

CAF has not yet set exact dates, keeping its options open.

But with the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations starting the following month in Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania, the dates are unlikely to extend into June.

CAF Interclub Competitions 2026/27

The Preliminary Rounds:

First Preliminary Round: 4-6 September 2026 (First Leg)

First Preliminary Round: 11-13 September 2026 (Second Leg)

Second Preliminary Round: 16-18 October 2026 (First Leg)

Second Preliminary Round: 23-25 October 2026 (Second Leg)

The Group Stage Fixtures have been scheduled as follows:

Matchday 1: 27-29 November 2026

Matchday 2: 4-6 December 2026