The Confederation of African Football (CAF) will hold the preliminary-round draws for the 2026-27 CAF Champions League and CAF Confederation Cup on Thursday, 6 August, at its headquarters in Cairo, Egypt.
The CAF Confederation Cup draw will take place first at 14:00 Cairo time, with the CAF Champions League draw scheduled to follow at 15:00. Representatives of the qualified clubs will attend the ceremony at the governing body’s headquarters.
The event will officially begin the new continental club campaign, as teams learn the opponents they must overcome in the preliminary rounds of the two competitions.
The holders will start their attempt to retain their titles, while the other participating clubs will be looking to progress through the early stages and secure a place in the group phase.
The order of proceedings means the Confederation Cup will be the first of CAF’s two major inter-club competitions to take centre stage on 6 August. One hour later, attention will turn to the Champions League, with the draw determining the opening challenge for the clubs involved in Africa’s premier continental competition.
For the clubs taking part, the preliminary-round draw represents the first significant step in the 2026-27 campaign. Their representatives will be present in Cairo as the pairings are announced, setting the route towards the group stage.
CAF has therefore fixed both ceremonies for the same day and venue, with the Confederation Cup draw beginning at 14:00 before the Champions League draw at 15:00. The confirmed schedule provides the starting point for the new season, even though the immediate focus will be on the preliminary rounds rather than the later stages of either tournament.
The reigning champions will enter the campaign seeking to defend their crowns. For the remaining clubs, the priority will be to negotiate the opening rounds successfully and remain in contention for a place in the group phase.
The Cairo ceremony will mark the formal launch of the new continental season, bringing together representatives from the qualified clubs and revealing the first competitive match-ups of the 2026-27 CAF club competitions.