CAF Champions League 2026-27: schedule for the second preliminary round first legs

Dates of the second preliminary round fixtures in the 2026-27 African Champions League season

Africa Today at 03:17

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CAF Champions League 2026-27: schedule for the second preliminary round first legs

CAF Champions League 2026-27 / @x.com

The CAF Champions League returns with the first legs of the second preliminary round, scheduled from October 16 to 18, 2026. The return legs will be played from October 23 to 25.

Several fixtures have attracted attention, notably the clash between five-time African champions TP Mazembe and Tunisia’s Club Africain. Defending champions Mamelodi Sundowns will face Angola’s Wiliete SC, while Espérance de Tunis will take on Libyan club Al-Swehly.

Meanwhile, RS Berkane, who were exempted from the first preliminary round, will face Sierra Leone’s Star Sport Academy. Al-Hilal Omdurman, for their part, will take on Ethiopia’s Sidama Bunna.

The 16 teams that qualify at the end of this round will advance to the group stage, which is scheduled to kick off in late November. The competition winners will pocket a $6 million prize.

Le MAS reçoit l’ASEC Mimosas… à Meknès ! 🏟️ Le MAS accueillera le club ivoirien au stade d’honneur de Meknès, au 2e tour préliminaire de la Ligue des champions africaine. Une délocalisation due à la fermeture du Grand Stade de Fès, qui entame sa réhabilitation en vue du Mondial 2030. 🇲🇦 _________ MAS vs ASEC… IN MEKNÈS! 🏟️🇲🇦 Maghreb Fès will host Ivorian side ASEC Mimosas at Meknès Honor Stadium, in the CAF Champions League second preliminary round. The move comes as the Fès Staduim closes for rehabilitation ahead of the 2030 World Cup. 🇲🇦
— SKWAD (@SKWAD_ma) October 6, 2026

CAF Champions League: schedule for the first legs

Friday, October 16, 2026

El Merriekh Bentiu (South Sudan) – Pyramids FC (Egypt)
APR FC (Rwanda) – Zamalek SC (Egypt)
Star Sport Academy (Sierra Leone) – RS Berkane (Morocco)
Saturday, October 17, 2026

CFFA (Madagascar) – Young Africans (Tanzania)
African Stars (Namibia) – Orlando Pirates (South Africa)
TP Mazembe (DR Congo) – Club Africain (Tunisia)
Maghreb de Fès (Morocco) – ASEC Mimosas (Ivory Coast)
15 de Agosto (Equatorial Guinea) – Simba SC (Tanzania)
San Pedro FC (Ivory Coast) – FC Nouadhibou (Mauritania)
Sunday, October 18, 2026

Scotland FC (Zimbabwe) – Petro Atlético (Angola)
Rangers International (Nigeria) – MC Alger (Algeria)
Sidama Bunna (Ethiopia) – Al-Hilal Omdurman (Sudan)
Wiliete SC (Angola) – Mamelodi Sundowns (South Africa)
Horoya AC (Guinea) – Al-Merrikh (Sudan)
Al-Swehly (Libya) – Espérance de Tunis (Tunisia)
Teungueth FC (Senegal) – Colombe Sportive (Cameroon)

Samson Adamu, secrétaire général par intérim de la Confédération Africaine de Football (CAF), a confirmé l’introduction de l’assistance vidéo à l’arbitrage (VAR) dès la phase de groupes de la Ligue des Champions de la CAF et de la Coupe de la Confédération, à compter de cette saison 🔥 Samson Adamu, Acting General Secretary of the Confederation of African Football (CAF), has confirmed that VAR will be introduced from the group stage of both the CAF Champions League and the CAF Confederation Cup, starting this season 🔥
— SKWAD (@SKWAD_ma) October 9, 2026

CAF Champions League: 5 must-see fixtures in the second preliminary round

Mohamed Rek |

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Mohamed Rek- sports content writer with over 10 years of experience creating football content in Arabic and French for platforms such as Foot Africa and Starafrica, combining accuracy, creativity, and audience engagement.