The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has unveiled the fixture calendar for the 2026-27 editions of the TotalEnergies CAF Champions League and the TotalEnergies CAF Confederation Cup, confirming that both continental competitions will get underway in September 2026.
The governing body has outlined the timetable from the preliminary rounds through to the finals, giving clubs across the continent a clear schedule as they prepare for another campaign in Africa’s two premier club tournaments.
The opening phase of both competitions will begin with the first preliminary round. First-leg matches are scheduled to take place between 4 and 6 September 2026, with the return fixtures set for 11 to 13 September.
Teams that progress will then move into the second preliminary round, where the first legs are due to be played from 16 to 18 October. The return matches, which will determine the clubs advancing to the group stage, are scheduled for 23 to 25 October 2026.
Once the qualifying rounds have concluded, attention will turn to the group stage, which is due to begin at the end of November.
CAF has confirmed that the opening round of group-stage fixtures will be played between 27 and 29 November 2026. The remaining matches will then be spread across December 2026 and January 2027, with the sixth and final round of group-stage games scheduled for 22 to 24 January 2027.
The conclusion of the group stage will determine the teams progressing to the knockout rounds, where the race for continental titles will intensify.
According to the calendar released by CAF, the quarter-finals will be staged across late February and early March 2027. The competition will then move into the semi-finals, which are scheduled for April.
The campaign will conclude with the finals of both the CAF Champions League and the CAF Confederation Cup. CAF has allocated a window running from 9 to 31 May 2027 for the decisive matches, bringing the continental club season to its conclusion.
In addition to confirming the competition dates, CAF also announced that the financial rewards introduced in recent seasons will remain unchanged for the upcoming campaign.
The winners of the TotalEnergies CAF Champions League will once again receive prize money of USD 6 million, while the champions of the TotalEnergies CAF Confederation Cup will earn USD 4 million.
The confirmation of the prize funds provides continuity for clubs competing in Africa’s leading club competitions, while the published calendar offers teams ample time to organise their domestic and continental commitments ahead of the new season.
The announcement also gives participating clubs a detailed roadmap from the opening qualifying fixtures in September through to the title-deciding matches in May, allowing them to prepare for every stage of the competition.
With the dates now confirmed, clubs from across the continent can begin planning for the 2026-27 campaign as they seek success in either the TotalEnergies CAF Champions League or the TotalEnergies CAF Confederation Cup and compete for African club football’s biggest honours.
