The Confederation of African Football is preparing to hold an important meeting to finalise several issues relating to the 2026/27 African club football season, including the future of the Confederation Cup play-off round and the timetable for next year’s competitions.
According to an official CAF source, the governing body’s Club Competitions and Licensing Committee is expected to meet before senior CAF departments become fully occupied with responsibilities connected to the 2026 World Cup in United States, Canada and Mexico.
The expanded World Cup, scheduled to run from 11 June to 19 July 2026, will feature 48 teams competing across 16 host cities in the three nations. A total of 104 matches are expected to be played during the tournament, with several CAF officials assigned to monitoring and coordination duties throughout the competition.
As a result, CAF is attempting to complete major organisational decisions concerning African club football before attention shifts fully to the World Cup.
One of the most significant proposals under consideration is the continued cancellation of the supplementary Confederation Cup play-off round for a third consecutive season.
The play-off traditionally involved clubs eliminated from the Champions League competing for places in the Confederation Cup group stage. However, CAF sources indicated that fixture congestion and the lack of suitable dates have made it increasingly difficult to stage the additional matches.
The governing body is therefore leaning towards maintaining the current system without the extra play-off phase in order to ease scheduling pressure across the African football calendar.
CAF is also finalising the structure and timeline for the start of the new continental season.
According to information obtained by the WinWin platform, African competitions will begin in September after clubs are given June and July to submit the names of participating teams and complete licensing procedures required for entry into the CAF Champions League and the CAF Confederation Cup.
The first preliminary round is expected to be played between 4 and 6 September, with second-leg matches scheduled between 11 and 13 September.
The second preliminary round is planned for 16 to 18 October, while return fixtures are due to take place between 23 and 25 October.
CAF’s current timetable also indicates that the group stages of both major club competitions will begin on either 28 or 29 November. Further rounds are expected to follow on 5, 12 and 19 December.
Alongside club tournaments, the African football schedule will also include qualification matches for the Africa Cup finals to be staged in Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda.
The first and second rounds of qualification are set to be played between 21 and 29 September, while the third and fourth rounds are scheduled from 2 to 6 October.
The latest organisational discussions come shortly after the conclusion of the African club season, which saw Mamelodi Sundowns FC crowned African champions for the second time in their history.
The South African side secured the title after drawing 1-1 away to AS FAR in the second leg of the final at the Moulay Abdellah Stadium in Rabat. Sundowns had already won the first leg 1-0 in Pretoria, sealing a 2-1 aggregate triumph.
The victory marked the club’s first continental success since 2016, when they defeated Zamalek SC in the final.
Their success also ended a run of nine consecutive Champions League titles won by Arab clubs, making Sundowns the first non-Arab side to lift the trophy since their own previous triumph nearly a decade ago.
Meanwhile, USM Alger claimed the Confederation Cup title after overcoming Zamalek in a dramatic penalty shootout in Cairo.
The two sides exchanged 1-0 victories across the two legs before the Algerian club prevailed 8-7 on penalties to secure the continental trophy.
