The 2026/27 CAF Champions League group stage now has all 16 participants confirmed, but the matchups will only be determined by the draw on Wednesday, 28 October 2026. The Confederation of African Football has scheduled the ceremony for 15:00 in Cairo, Egypt (12:00 GMT), at the Egyptian Football Association headquarters. Four groups of four teams will be formed.
CAF’s official list, released on 26 October after the second preliminary round, includes clubs from 11 countries. Angola, Egypt, Morocco, Tanzania and Tunisia have two representatives apiece. Algeria, Cameroon, Guinea, Mauritania, South Africa and Sudan each have one club.
All 16 clubs qualified for the 2026/27 CAF Champions League, by country
| Country | Qualified clubs | Total |
|---|---|---|
| Angola | Petro Atlético, Wiliete SC | 2 |
| Egypt | Pyramids FC, Zamalek SC | 2 |
| Morocco | MAS de Fès, RS Berkane | 2 |
| Tanzania | Simba SC, Young Africans | 2 |
| Tunisia | Club Africain, Espérance | 2 |
| Algeria | MC Alger | 1 |
| Cameroon | Colombe Sportive | 1 |
| Guinea | Horoya AC | 1 |
| Mauritania | FC Nouadhibou | 1 |
| South Africa | Orlando Pirates | 1 |
| Sudan | Al Hilal Omdurman | 1 |
| Total | 16 clubs from 11 countries | 16 |
The club names and countries above follow CAF’s list published on 26 October and were cross-checked against Soccer Mag coverage. This is the men’s continental club competition, not the European UEFA Champions League or the CAF Women’s Champions League.
When is the draw, and how will the groups be formed?
The draw will be held on 28 October 2026 at 15:00 Cairo time (12:00 GMT), at Egyptian Football Association headquarters. CAF has announced live coverage on its official digital platforms. The 14:00 Cairo time slot (11:00 GMT) is for the separate CAF Confederation Cup draw and should not be confused with the Champions League ceremony.
The procedure confirmed in the statements reviewed calls for the 16 qualifiers to be allocated to four groups of four. The top two teams from each group will then qualify for the quarter-finals, leaving eight clubs. CAF has published six matchday windows running from November 2026 through January 2027.
Being on the qualification list does not mean a club has already been assigned a group opponent. As of the 26 October review, the official documents cited here did not yet provide the group composition or any confirmed pairings. Those statements also did not spell out the precise allocation into seeding pots, so no possible group combination should be presented as final.
When does the group stage begin?
The official CAF calendar schedules the opening matchday for 27 to 29 November 2026. The six published windows are listed below; the exact fixtures and home-team assignments will depend on subsequent scheduling.
| Round | CAF scheduled dates |
|---|---|
| Matchday 1 | 27–29 November 2026 |
| Matchday 2 | 4–6 December 2026 |
| Matchday 3 | 18–20 December 2026 |
| Matchday 4 | 8–10 January 2027 |
| Matchday 5 | 15–17 January 2027 |
| Matchday 6 | 22–24 January 2027 |
What changed during qualifying?
Angola’s Wiliete SC eliminated South African titleholders Mamelodi Sundowns. After a 0-0 first leg in Angola and a 1-1 second leg in South Africa, Wiliete advanced on away goals, according to CAF. That tie was not won on aggregate goals or decided by a penalty shoot-out.
With Wiliete and Petro Atlético, Angola has two representatives. South Africa will be represented by Orlando Pirates. The opponents of all 16 qualified sides will only be determined at the draw scheduled for 28 October.
