The list of clubs involved in the 2026-27 CAF Champions League draw

All eyes will be on the headquarters of the Confederation of African Football in Cairo this Thursday, August 6, where the preliminary round draw for the CAF Champions League will take place. Discover the clubs competing in this 2026-27 edition.

The draw will be held this Thursday at 12pm GMT and will be broadcast live on the official CAF TV YouTube channel.

With Al Ahly competing in the CAF Confederation Cup and the Casablanca duo Wydad and Raja from Morocco absent, the other teams will be looking to dethrone Mamelodi Sundowns, who won last year's edition against AS FAR (2-1 on aggregate).

Three clubs exempted?

Although we're still waiting for CAF's confirmation, three clubs are expected to skip the preliminary round. These are South Africa's Mamelodi Sundowns, Tunisia's Espérance Sportive de Tunis, and Morocco's RS Berkane. All other participating clubs will have to navigate two preliminary rounds to secure a spot in the group stage.

Clubs competing in the 2026-2027 CAF Champions League

MC Alger (Algeria)

JS Saoura (Algeria)

Wiliete de Benguela (Angola)

Atlético Petróleos (Angola)

Sobemap FC (Benin)

Gaborone United FC (Botswana)

Rahimo FC (Burkina Faso)

Aigle Noir CS (Burundi)

CS Dja et Lobo (Cameroon)

Aiglons FC N'Djamena (Chad)

Fomboni FC de Mohéli (Comoros)

TP Mazembe (DR Congo)

Les Aigles du Congo (DR Congo)

FC San Pedro (Ivory Coast)

ASEC Mimosas (Ivory Coast)

AS Port (Djibouti)

Zamalek SC (Egypt)

Pyramids FC (Egypt)

15 de Agosto de Akonibe (Equatorial Guinea)

Nsingizini Hotspurs (Eswatini)

Sidaama Buna FC (Ethiopia)

AS Mangasport (Gabon)

Medeama SC (Ghana)

Horoya AC (Guinea)

FC Canchungo (Guinea-Bissau)

Gor Mahia FC (Kenya)

LIABATHO FC (Lesotho)

Swelyhi SC (Libya)

CFFA (Madagascar)

Mighty Wanderers (Malawi)

Stade Malien (Mali)

Djoliba AC de Bamako (Mali)

FC Nouadhibou (Mauritania)

La Cure Waves SC (Mauritius)

RS Berkane (Morocco)

Maghreb Association Sportive de Fès (Morocco)

UD do Songo (Mozambique)

African Stars (Namibia)

ASN Nigelec (Niger)

Rangers Int'l FC Enugu (Nigeria)

Rivers United FC (Nigeria)

APR FC (Rwanda)

Tengueth FC (Senegal)

Foresters FC (Seychelles)

Star Sport Academy (Sierra Leone)

Heegan Sports Club (Somalia)

Mamelodi Sundowns (South Africa)

El Merriekh SC Bentiu (South Sudan)

Al Hilal SC (Sudan)

Al Merrikh SC (Sudan)

Young Africans (Tanzania)

Simba SC (Tanzania)

Medina United FC (Gambia)

ASCK (Togo)

ES de Tunis (Tunisia)

Club Africain (Tunisia)

Vipers SC (Uganda)

Power Dynamos FC (Zambia)

KVZ FC (Zanzibar)

Scotland FC (Zimbabwe)

Who are the top favorites for the title?

The 2026-2027 CAF Champions League edition promises a fierce battle, with most of the continent’s powerhouses in action, except for Egypt’s Al Ahly, who will be competing in the Confederation Cup.

According to many pundits, four clubs stand out as the main contenders for the trophy.

First and foremost is the defending champion, South Africa’s Mamelodi Sundowns, who have retained all their top stars while bolstering their squad with new signings.

Meanwhile, Espérance de Tunis are undergoing a transformation with a very interesting transfer window, pending the completion of the deal for Brazilian Lucas Ribeiro.

On their side, Egypt’s Pyramids FC have firmly established themselves as a continental powerhouse after gaining invaluable experience in recent seasons.

Morocco’s RS Berkane, in turn, have become a major player in continental competitions, thanks to a well-rounded and deep squad.

Imed Ben Amara |

Editorar, fr

Imed Ben Amara - bilingual sports writer and web editor with experience in football content creation. Since 2021, he has contributed to Foot Africa, providing news coverage and analysis.

Related teams and leagues

Mamelodi Sundowns FC

CAF Champions League