The road to the group stage: Egypt's giants face final African obstacle

Zamalek and Pyramids FC will face APR FC of Rwanda and El Merriekh Bentiu of South Sudan respectively on Friday 16 October, in the final qualifying round of the 2026 /27 CAF Champions League.

Egypt's two representatives are one step away from the group stage, with both teams hoping to secure positive results away from home before hosting their opponents in Cairo.

According to the Confederation of African Football CAF, the second preliminary round will determine the 16 clubs advancing to the group stage, which begins in late November.

Both Egyptian teams progressed comfortably from the opening round, although their next opponents have also demonstrated their ability to compete in continental football.

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Zamalek face APR in Rwanda after impressive first round victory

Five time African champions Zamalek travel to Kigali for their first leg encounter against Rwanda's APR FC at Amahoro Stadium.

The match is scheduled for Friday 16 October with kickoff at 18:00 local time according to the stadium's official events calendar.

Zamalek reached this stage after eliminating Djibouti's AS Port 6-1 on aggregate.

The Egyptian side won the opening leg 2-1 before completing a convincing 4-0 victory in the return fixture, as previously reported by Foot Africa.

APR, however, produced one of the opening round's notable comebacks.

After losing 1-0 to DR Congo's Aigles du Congo in the first leg, the Rwandan club responded with a 3-0 home victory to qualify 3-1 on aggregate.

Zamalek will also be looking for an immediate response after suffering a 2-0 defeat against Al Ahly in the Cairo derby on 11 October.

A positive result in Kigali would strengthen their position before the decisive return leg at Cairo International Stadium on Saturday 24 October.

Pyramids target another dominant performance against El Merriekh Bentiu

Pyramids FC will also begin their second preliminary round tie away from home when they face South Sudanese champions El Merriekh Bentiu at Juba Stadium on Friday.

The Cairo-based club which won its maiden CAF Champions League title in 2025, enters the encounter after an impressive first round campaign against Kenyan champions Gor Mahia.

Pyramids secured a 2-0 victory in Nairobi before recording a commanding 5-1 home win completing a 7-1 aggregate triumph.

As highlighted in Foot Africa's report on Pyramids' qualification, the Egyptian side demonstrated its attacking strength across both legs.

However, El Merriekh Bentiu also enters the tie with an impressive qualifying record.

The South Sudanese club eliminated Somalia's Heegan FC 4-0 on aggregate winning the first leg 1-0 before securing a 3-0 victory in the return match.

Neither team conceded a defeat during the opening round, setting up an intriguing contest between two sides that progressed with convincing aggregate victories.

Pyramids will host the second leg at the Air Defence Stadium in Cairo on Saturday 24 October.

What is at stake for Zamalek and Pyramids?

The second preliminary round represents the final obstacle before the CAF Champions League group stage.

Only 16 of the 32 participating clubs will qualify, with the winners advancing to the six-match group phase beginning on 27 November.

The financial stakes are also significant, with CAF confirming a record $6 million prize for the eventual Champions League winners.

Both Zamalek and Pyramids will be aiming to avoid difficult deficits away from home and approach their return fixtures in Cairo with qualification firmly within reach.

The Egyptian pair are part of a second preliminary round featuring several of Africa's leading clubs including Mamelodi Sundowns, Espérance de Tunis and RS Berkane.

With both first legs scheduled for 16 October and the return fixtures following eight days later, the coming ten days will determine whether Egypt has two representatives in the 2026 /27 CAF Champions League group stage.

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.

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Zamalek SC

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CAF Champions League