CAF 2025/2026: Clubs exempted from the first preliminary round revealed

Africa 07 August 2025 at 06:29

Mohamed Rek

News Editor

The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has decided to exempt several clubs from participating in the first preliminary round of the 2025-2026 editions of the CAF Champions League and the CAF Confederation Cup.

This decision is based on the continental club rankings, which are determined by their performances over recent years. As a result, the highest-ranked teams earn direct entry into the later stages of the competition.

According to information shared by journalist and CAF insider Micky Junior, only two clubs have been granted exemption from the first round of the Champions League:

Al Ahly SC (Egypt), Mamelodi Sundowns (South Africa).

For the Confederation Cup, six clubs have been exempted thanks to their strong continental ranking over the past five seasons:

Zamalek SC (Egypt), Wydad AC (Morocco), USM Alger (Algeria), JS Kabylie (Algeria), Al Masry SC (Egypt), and Stellenbosch FC (South Africa).

It is worth noting that Espérance Sportive de Tunis will exceptionally begin their campaign from the very first preliminary round of the Champions League—a decision that has surprised many supporters and presents a new challenge for the Tunisian giants.

Full calendar for African competitions 2025/2026

First preliminary round

First leg: September 19–21, 2025

Second leg: September 26–28, 2025

Second preliminary round

First leg: October 17–19, 2025

Second leg: October 24–26, 2025

Group stage

Matchday 1: November 21–23, 2025

Matchday 2: November 28–30, 2025

Matchday 3: January 23–25, 2026

Matchday 4: January 30–February 1, 2026

Matchday 5: February 6–8, 2026

Matchday 6: February 13–15, 2026

Knockout stages

Quarter-finals: March 2026

Semi-finals: April 2026

Final: between May 8 and May 24, 2026

Also read: African competitions 2025-2026: the official schedule revealed!