CAF Champions League 2026-2027: The clubs already qualified

MC Alger, Sundowns, Zamalek and Espérance headline a continental lineup missing Al Ahly.

Africa 25 July 2026 at 13:15

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CAF Champions League 2026-2027: The clubs already qualified

The next CAF Champions League is taking shape. More than fifty clubs have already secured their tickets, with some notable absentees and major surprises.

The lineup is starting to look impressive. From Cairo to Algiers, Pretoria to Dar es Salaam, Africa’s top powerhouses are already gearing up for their campaigns in the CAF Champions League 2026-2027.

However, the listed clubs are not yet qualified for the group stage. They must still clear the preliminary rounds to reach the final draw of 16 teams. Mamelodi Sundowns, the reigning African champions, will be defending their crown.

Twelve nations represented by two clubs

The twelve highest-ranked associations each have two spots:

Algeria: MC Alger and JS Saoura
Angola: Petro de Luanda and Wiliete SC
South Africa: Orlando Pirates and Mamelodi Sundowns
Ivory Coast: ASEC Mimosas and FC San Pedro
Egypt: Zamalek and Pyramids FC
Mali: Djoliba AC and Stade Malien
Morocco: MAS Fès and RS Berkane
Nigeria: Enugu Rangers and Rivers United
DR Congo: TP Mazembe and Aigles du Congo
Sudan: Al Hilal Omdurman and Al Merrikh
Tanzania: Young Africans and Simba SC
Tunisia: Club Africain and Espérance de Tunis

The other representatives already known

Several national champions have also punched their tickets:

Benin: AS SOBEMAP
Botswana: Gaborone United
Burkina Faso: Rahimo FC
Burundi: Aigle Noir
Cameroon: Colombe Sportive
Cape Verde: GD Palmeira
Comoros: Fomboni FC
Djibouti: AS Port
Eswatini: Nsingizini Hotspurs
Ethiopia: Sidama Bunna
Ghana: Medeama SC
Guinea: Horoya AC
Kenya: Gor Mahia
Lesotho: Lijabatho FC
Liberia: Watanga FC
Libya: Al-Swehly
Malawi: Mighty Wanderers
Mauritius: La Cure Waves
Mauritania: FC Nouadhibou
Mozambique: UD Songo
Namibia: African Stars
Niger: ASN Nigelec
Uganda: Vipers SC
Rwanda: APR FC
Senegal: Teungueth FC
Seychelles: Foresters FC
South Sudan: Al Merrikh Bentiu
Chad: Aiglons FC
Zambia: Power Dynamos
Zimbabwe: Scottland FC

Al Ahly, the big absentee

The headline shock of this edition is the absence of Al Ahly. Third in the Egyptian league, the record-holders with twelve titles will miss the competition for the first time since 2003.

Although Bo Rangers qualified on the pitch, they have withdrawn from representing Sierra Leone for financial reasons. The representatives from Equatorial Guinea, Guinea-Bissau and Somalia still need to be officially confirmed.

The first preliminary round will take place from September 4 to 13. The group stage will kick off on the weekend of November 27, with the future African champions set to pocket six million dollars.