The preliminary-round draws for the 2026-27 CAF Champions League and CAF Confederation Cup will take place in Cairo, Egypt, on Thursday, 6 August, with four South African clubs waiting to discover their potential opponents.
Orlando Pirates and Mamelodi Sundowns will represent the Premier Soccer League (PSL) in the CAF Champions League, while Kaizer Chiefs and Durban City will compete in the CAF Confederation Cup.
The draw will cover the preliminary round, first round and second round of both continental competitions. The group-stage draw will be held at a later date, after all the qualifying ties have been completed.
Orlando Pirates and Mamelodi Sundowns secured their places in Africa’s leading club competition after finishing first and second respectively last season. Their qualification means South Africa will have two representatives in the CAF Champions League for the 2026-27 campaign.
Kaizer Chiefs will return to the CAF Confederation Cup after ending the previous season in third place. They will be joined by Durban City, who earned their place as Nedbank Cup champions.
The two clubs will now learn the route they must take through the qualifying rounds as they compete for a place in the group stage of the second-tier continental competition.
The new campaign is also expected to attract significant attention because of the presence of Al Ahly in the CAF Confederation Cup. The Egyptian club, one of Africa’s most successful sides, failed to qualify for the CAF Champions League despite having won the competition 12 times.
Al Ahly’s absence from the CAF Champions League marks a rare change in the competition’s recent history. The club last failed to qualify in 2023, having been a consistent presence in the tournament for 23 years before that.
The draw will therefore establish the opening paths for all teams involved in the preliminary stages, including the four South African clubs. Orlando Pirates, Mamelodi Sundowns, Kaizer Chiefs and Durban City will discover which opponents stand between them and progression to the next phase.
The group-stage draw will only be conducted once the qualifying rounds have concluded and the full list of teams advancing has been confirmed.
The CAF Champions League and CAF Confederation Cup remain the two major club competitions on the African continent, and the 2026-27 season will begin with the first set of preliminary-round pairings announced in Cairo.
Kaizer Chiefs recently showed L’vovo some love during his visit to Naturena.
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