The 16 clubs that will compete in the CAF Champions League 2026/27 Group Stage have been confirmed following the conclusion of the Second Preliminary Round on Sunday, setting the stage for Wednesday’s much-anticipated draw in Cairo, Egypt.
The final qualification matches delivered major surprises, with defending champions Mamelodi Sundowns suffering a shock elimination while former continental champions Espérance, Zamalek and MC Alger survived difficult encounters to keep their title ambitions alive.
The Group Stage Draw will take place at the Egyptian Football Association (EFA) Headquarters in Cairo on Wednesday, 28 October 2026, at 15h00 local time (12h00 GMT).
The draw will divide the 16 qualified clubs into four groups of four, with the Group Stage scheduled to begin in November.
One of the biggest stories of the preliminary rounds was the elimination of South African holders Mamelodi Sundowns by Angola’s Wiliete SC.
The Angolan club, founded in 2018, secured a historic qualification after holding Sundowns to a 1-1 draw in Pretoria, progressing on away goals following a goalless first leg in Lubango.
Wiliete’s achievement ranks among the competition’s biggest upsets and brings a new contender into the Group Stage.
South Africa will nevertheless be represented by Orlando Pirates, who completed a commanding 5-0 aggregate victory over Namibia’s African Stars, winning the return leg 4-0.
Egypt will have two representatives in the next phase after five-time champions Zamalek and Pyramids secured qualification with victories over Rwanda’s APR FC and South Sudan’s El Merriekh Bentiu respectively.
Four-time champions Espérance survived a major scare against Libya’s Swehly SC, overturning a 1-0 first-leg deficit before winning 3-1 on penalties to secure their place.
Algeria’s MC Alger produced one of the most remarkable comebacks of the round, scoring three unanswered second-half goals to overturn a 2-0 first-leg defeat against Nigeria’s Rangers International.
Angola’s Petro Atlético also recovered from a two-goal deficit, defeating Zimbabwe’s Scottland FC 3-0 in Luanda to qualify 3-2 on aggregate.
Morocco will have two representatives in RS Berkane and MAS de Fès, who progressed in contrasting circumstances.
Berkane completed a comfortable 3-0 aggregate victory over Sierra Leone’s Star Sport Academy, while MAS de Fès secured a dramatic late 2-1 win against Côte d’Ivoire’s ASEC Mimosas to advance 3-2 on aggregate.
Tunisia’s Club Africain also celebrated a significant return to the Group Stage after eliminating five-time continental champions TP Mazembe of DR Congo, winning 1-0 at home to complete a 2-1 aggregate triumph.
Tanzania will once again have two clubs in the competition, with Simba SC and Young Africans producing two of the most emphatic aggregate victories.
Sudan’s Al Hilal Omdurman also progressed in convincing fashion, completing a 4-0 aggregate victory over Ethiopia’s Sidama Bunna.
Cameroon’s Colombe Sportive qualified after defeating Senegal’s Teungueth FC 3-0 on aggregate, marking an important achievement for Cameroonian club football.
Mauritania’s FC Nouadhibou overturned a first-leg defeat against Côte d’Ivoire’s FC San Pedro to secure a 3-2 aggregate victory and reach the Group Stage for the second time in their history.
Guinea’s Horoya AC completed the line-up after eliminating Sudan’s Al Merriekh on penalties following a 1-1 aggregate draw.
The qualified clubs will now turn their attention to Wednesday’s draw, which will determine their opponents as the competition moves into its next phase.
There will be significant rewards at stake, with the eventual winners of the TotalEnergies CAF Champions League 2026/27 set to receive a record USD 6 million.
The Group Stage will feature four groups of four teams, with the top two clubs in each group advancing to the quarter-finals.
Qualified Clubs – CAF Champions League 2026/27 Group Stage
Al Hilal Omdurman (Sudan), Club Africain (Tunisia), Colombe Sportive (Cameroon), Espérance (Tunisia), FC Nouadhibou (Mauritania), Horoya AC (Guinea), MAS de Fès (Morocco), MC Alger (Algeria), Orlando Pirates (South Africa), Petro Atlético (Angola), Pyramids FC (Egypt), RS Berkane (Morocco), Simba SC (Tanzania), Wiliete SC (Angola), Young Africans (Tanzania), Zamalek SC (Egypt).
For more information on the TotalEnergies CAF Champions League, visit www.cafonline.com.
