The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has announced the dates for two exciting continental league tournaments – the CAF Champions League and the CAF Confederation Cup draw.
The draw is set for Saturday, August 9, 2025, at 1:00 PM local time (10:00 AM GMT) at Azam Media Studios in Dar Es Salaam. You can catch it live on CAF’s YouTube channel and partner networks around Africa and beyond.
This year, a record-breaking 120 football clubs from across Africa will compete in the TotalEnergies CAF Champions League and TotalEnergies CAF Confederation Cup for the 2025/26 season. There will be 62 teams in the Champions League and 58 in the Confederation Cup, making it the biggest turnout ever for CAF’s interclub competitions.
CAF President Dr. Patrice Motsepe also revealed that the participation fee for clubs in the Preliminary Rounds has increased from USD 50,000 to USD 100000.
The 2025/26 season promises to be thrilling with a mix of legendary champions, strong teams, and up-and-coming clubs, ensuring plenty of drama and unforgettable moments.
Al Ahly from Egypt, the most successful club in the competition’s history, will be back, along with their fellow Egyptians Pyramids FC, the defending champions.
Côte d’Ivoire’s ASEC Mimosas and Stade Abidjan, Algeria’s JS Kabylie, and Morocco’s AS FAR and RS Berkane, the latter being the holders of the CAF Confederation Cup , are also in the mix.
South African powerhouses Mamelodi Sundowns and Orlando Pirates add even more excitement to this historic lineup.
In the TotalEnergies Confederation Cup, Egyptian giants Zamalek stand out as they aim to make their mark in the competition.
The journey kicks off with the Preliminary Round, which will be played over two legs during the weekends of September 19–21 and September 26–28, 2025. Teams that win will move on to the Second Preliminary Round on October 17–19, with return legs a week later from October 24–26.
The successful teams will secure a spot in the Group Stage starting November 21, 2025. Kenya will be represented by Police FC, the champions of the 2024/25 FKF Premier League.
From there, the top teams will battle it out in the knockout stage, beginning March 13, 2026, all hoping to lift African football’s most prestigious club trophies.
