Kaizer Chiefs will begin their 2026/27 CAF Confederation Cup campaign in the second preliminary round against either Zambia’s Red Arrows FC or Madagascar’s FC Rouge.
The South African club received a bye from the opening stage after the preliminary-round draw was held in Cairo on Thursday. Their first match will be away from home, with the return leg scheduled to take place at home in October.
The two-legged tie will be played on 16-18 October and 23-25 October, with a place in the competition’s group stage at stake. Kaizer Chiefs are among eight clubs exempted from the first preliminary round and will be seeking to reach the group phase after returning to continental football.
The 16 winners from the second preliminary round will progress to the group stage, which is due to begin at the end of November.
Kaizer Chiefs’ potential opponents will first meet in the opening round, with Red Arrows FC hosting FC Rouge in the first leg between 4 and 6 September. The return fixtures are scheduled for 11-13 September.
Durban City face continental debut
Durban City FC will make their first appearance in African competition after qualifying as winners of the Nedbank Cup. They have been drawn against Rukinzo FC of Burundi in the first preliminary round.
The KwaZulu-Natal club will stage the opening match between 4 and 6 September before travelling to Burundi for the return leg a week later.
If Durban City overcome Rukinzo FC, they will face the winner of the tie between AS Port Louis 2000 of Mauritius and Botswana’s Jwaneng Galaxy FC in the second preliminary round.
Durban City’s potential second-round tie would also be played over two legs, on 16-18 October and 23-25 October.
A total of 56 clubs have entered this season’s CAF Confederation Cup. The eventual winners will compete for $4m in prize money.
The opening-round draw is:
– Mogadishu CC (Somalia) v Kitara FC (Uganda)
– ZED FC (Egypt) v ASAS Djibouti Telecom (Djibouti)
– Al Hilal Alsahil (Sudan) v Welwalo Adigrat (Ethiopia)
– KMKM SC (Zanzibar) v Al Ahly Tripoli (Libya)
– Al Ahli Madani (Sudan) v Tusker FC (Kenya)
– Al-Ghazala SC Wau (South Sudan) v Singida Black Stars (Tanzania)
– The Panthers FC (Equatorial Guinea) v ASPAC FC (Benin)
– AS PSI (Chad) v CO Korhogo (Cote d’Ivoire)
– AS Douanes (Mauritania) v Hafia FC (Guinea)
– El Kanemi Warriors (Nigeria) v UDIB (Guinea-Bissau)
– AF Amadou Diallo (Cote d’Ivoire) v East End Lions FC (Sierra Leone)
– Shooting Stars (Nigeria) v CS Sfaxien (Tunisia)
– ES Zarzis (Tunisia) v Diambars FC (Senegal)
– Vitesse FC (Burkina Faso) v AS Real de Bamako (Mali)
– FC Diarra (Mali) v Nations FC (Ghana)
– AS ZAM (Niger) v ASKO de Kara (Togo)
– UNAM (Namibia) v Kabuscorp de Palanca (Angola)
– Red Arrows FC (Zambia) v FC Rouge (Madagascar)
– Durban City FC (South Africa) v Rukinzo FC (Burundi)
– AS Port Louis 2000 (Mauritius) v Jwaneng Galaxy (Botswana)
– Panthere Sportive (Cameroon) v Rayon Sports FC (Rwanda)
– Atomic Ngome (Comoros) v Associacao Black Bulls (Mozambique)
– DC Virunga (DR Congo) v PTL Bazar Brothers (Seychelles)
– Green Mamba (Eswatini) v CD Primeiro de Agosto (Angola)
The first legs will be played from 4-6 September 2026, followed by the second legs from 11-13 September 2026.
The second-round draw is:
– Mogadishu CC or Kitara FC v Al Ahly FC (Egypt)
– ZED FC or ASAS Djibouti Telecom v Azam FC (Tanzania)
– Al Hilal Alsahil or Welwalo Adigrat v KMKM SC or Al Ahly Tripoli
– Al Ahli Madani or Tusker FC v Al-Ghazala SC Wau or Singida Black Stars
– The Panthers FC or ASPAC FC v USM Alger (Algeria)
– AS PSI or CO Korhogo v AS FAR (Morocco)
– AS Douanes or Hafia FC v CR Belouizdad (Algeria)
– El Kanemi Warriors or UDIB v Raja CA (Morocco)
– AF Amadou Diallo or East End Lions FC v Shooting Stars or CS Sfaxien
– ES Zarzis or Diambars FC v Vitesse FC or AS Real de Bamako
– FC Diarra or Nations FC v AS ZAM or ASKO de Kara
– UNAM or Kabuscorp de Palanca v AS Maniema Union (DR Congo)
– Red Arrows FC or FC Rouge v Kaizer Chiefs (South Africa)
– Durban City FC or Rukinzo FC v AS Port Louis 2000 or Jwaneng Galaxy FC
– Panthere Sportive or Rayon Sports FC v Atomic Ngome or Associacao Black Bulls
– DC Virunga or PTL Bazar Brothers v Green Mamba or CD Primeiro de Agosto
The second-round first legs are scheduled for 16-18 October 2026, with the return matches taking place from 23-25 October.
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