...
The 16 teams that will compete in the 2026/27 TotalEnergies CAF Champions League group stage are now known. The draw will take place in Cairo on Wednesday, October 28, with Espérance de Tunis among the clubs chasing the continental title.
The second preliminary round came to an end on Sunday, bringing a series of hard-fought ties and a few major surprises. The 16 remaining clubs will discover their opponents on Wednesday, when the group stage draw takes place at the headquarters of the Egyptian Football Association in Cairo, at 1:00 pm Tunis time (12:00 GMT). The ceremony will be broadcast live on the CAF’s official digital platforms.
The competition is now moving into its next stage, with the qualified teams set to be drawn into four groups of four. The group stage will begin in November, with the top two teams from each group advancing to the quarter-finals.
Defending Champions Sundowns Out as Wiliete SC Make History
The biggest surprise of the preliminary rounds came from Angola. Defending champions Mamelodi Sundowns have been knocked out by Wiliete SC, who will feature in the group stage for the first time in their history. After a goalless draw in the first leg in Lubango, the Angolan side held Sundowns to a 1-1 draw in Pretoria, securing qualification on away goals.
South Africa will still have a representative in the competition, with Orlando Pirates booking their place after comfortably overcoming Namibia’s African Stars over the two legs.
Several former African champions also made it through. Espérance de Tunis, Zamalek and MC Alger all survived difficult ties, while Pyramids FC also secured their place in the group stage.
Espérance and Club Africain Both Through
Espérance de Tunis secured their qualification after a difficult two-legged tie against Libyan side Swehly SC. Beaten 1-0 in the first leg, the Blood and Gold turned the tie around in the return match before winning 3-1 on penalties to book their place in the group stage.
Club Africain will also be there. The Tunisian side got their revenge on TP Mazembe, who had previously knocked them out with a historic 8-0 defeat. This time, Club Africain came out on top, eliminating the five-time African champions with a 2-1 aggregate victory.
There were other notable comebacks during this round. MC Alger overturned a two-goal deficit against Nigeria’s Rangers International, scoring three times in the second half to secure qualification. Petro Atlético also came from two goals down, beating Zimbabwe’s Scottland FC 3-0 in Luanda to progress 3-2 on aggregate.
Morocco will have two representatives, RS Berkane and MAS de Fès. Egypt will also send two teams, Zamalek and Pyramids FC, while Tanzania will be represented by Simba SC and Young Africans. The remaining places go to Al Hilal Omdurman, Colombe Sportive, FC Nouadhibou, Horoya AC and the two Angolan sides, including surprise qualifiers Wiliete SC.
A Much-Anticipated Draw and a Prize Worth Fighting For
Wednesday’s draw will do more than simply determine the group-stage fixtures. It will give each contender a clearer idea of the challenge ahead as the race for the quarter-finals gets underway. For Espérance, the immediate objective will be to navigate the group stage successfully and keep their hopes of another continental title alive.
There is also a major financial incentive. The winners of the 2026/27 TotalEnergies CAF Champions League will receive a record prize of $6 million.
All 16 clubs are now waiting to discover their opponents. Wednesday’s draw in Cairo will mark the start of the next chapter in the race for the African crown.
The 16 Qualified Teams
- Tunisia: Espérance de Tunis, Club Africain
- Egypt: Zamalek SC, Pyramids FC
- Morocco: RS Berkane, MAS de Fès
- Tanzania: Simba SC, Young Africans
- Angola: Petro Atlético, Wiliete SC
- Sudan: Al Hilal Omdurman
- Cameroon: Colombe Sportive
- Mauritania: FC Nouadhibou
- Guinea: Horoya AC
- Algeria: MC Alger
- South Africa: Orlando Pirates
