From the August draw to the May finals: Charting the course for Africa's premier prize

CAF will hold the 2026 /27 club preliminary draw in Cairo on 6 August before kickoff on 4 September.

The CAF Club Competitions and Licensing Committee set Thursday, 6 August as the tentative date for the preliminary round draw. The ceremony will take place at CAF headquarters in Cairo, Egypt.

Officials discarded an earlier proposal to host the event in Morocco alongside the Women's Africa Cup of Nations. National associations finalized squad registrations on 25 July setting the stage to confirm bye entitlements for top ranked clubs.

Read Also: Egyptian Premier League 2026/27: August Kickoff Dates and Split Group Format Revealed

The complete roadmap to the May finals

Action officially gets underway with the first preliminary leg from 4-6 September, followed by return fixtures on 11-13 September.

Teams advancing to the second preliminary round will clash in mid October. The group stage kicks off on 27 November and runs through late January 2027.

Knockout rounds begin with the quarterfinals in late February leading up to the final window set between 9 May & 31 May 2027.

Massive financial incentives remain intact, with the Champions League winner set to bag $6 million while the Confederation Cup champion secures $4 million.

Squad limits & registration deadlines

CAF established strict player eligibility windows to keep competition seamless. Clubs must complete initial roster submissions between 1 August & 15 August for the first round, with subsequent windows opening ahead of the second preliminary stage and group phase.

Teams can register up to 40 player total, with matchday squads capped at 9 substitutes. A strict 72 hour pre match cutoff applies for any mid group stage roster additions.

The High Stakes of Africa's Premier Prize

Maintaining the $6 million prize pot highlights the dramatic evolution of African club football over recent years.

CAF previously awarded $2.5 million to the Champions League winner before implementing a massive 140% payout boost to elevate continental standards.

This financial boom has completely transformed early qualification rounds into multi million dollar showdowns where early elimination can severely strain a club's operating budget for years to come.

Khaled Hegazy |

Editorar, en

Journaliste sportif spécialisé dans la couverture du football et la création de contenu numérique, alliant expérience éditoriale et expertise des médias sociaux.

Related teams and leagues

CAF Champions League

CAF Confederation Cup