Al Ahly and Raja Casablanca will face each other in Group A of the 2026/27 CAF Confederation Cup after Wednesday’s group-stage draw in Cairo, Egypt.
The draw has set up an intriguing contest between two of Africa’s prominent clubs, with both sides aiming to progress to the knockout stages of the competition.
They will be joined in Group A by Togo’s ASKO de Kara and Angola’s Primeiro de Agosto, completing a four-team group in which each club will compete for a place in the quarter-finals.
Elsewhere, Group B features Morocco’s AS FAR Club, Tanzania’s Azam FC, Libya’s Al Ahli Tripoli and South Africa’s Durban City FC.
Group C includes AS Maniema Union of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Tanzania’s Singida United and Zambia’s Red Arrows FC. The remaining place in the group is subject to confirmation following the outstanding qualification process.
Group D brings together defending champions USM Alger, Tunisia’s CS Sfaxien, Mozambique’s Black Bulls and Mali’s AS Real Bamako.
USM Alger will be seeking to build on their status as holders, but face competition from three sides hoping to make their own mark in the continental tournament.
The group-stage draw, held on Wednesday, October 28, determined the opponents for the 16 teams competing in the next phase of the Confederation Cup.
Under the competition format, the teams have been divided into four groups of four, with the top two finishers in each group advancing to the quarter-finals.
That leaves little room for error as clubs look to secure qualification, with consistency across the group-stage fixtures likely to prove decisive.
Four former African internationals also took part in the draw ceremonies for the continent’s two major club competitions. Burkina Faso’s Alain Traoré and Sudan’s Mudather Eltaieb assisted with the Confederation Cup draw, while Tunisia’s Oussama Darragi and Cameroon’s Achille Emana assisted with the CAF Champions League draw.
With the group-stage pairings now established, attention will turn to the fixtures and the opening matches as clubs begin their pursuit of continental honours.
For Al Ahly and Raja Casablanca, the immediate challenge will be navigating a competitive Group A, while USM Alger will look to defend their title against a varied Group D field.
