Kaizer Chiefs have been handed a bye from the first round of this season’s African Confederation Cup while rookies Durban City were paired against Rukinzo from Burundi when the draw for the continental competition was conducted in Cairo on Thursday.
Chiefs were one of eight sides who were exempted from the opening round of the preliminary knockout competition and will take on either Red Arrows of Zambia or FC Rouge of Madagascar in the second round.
Chutes will be at home in the second leg of the second round tie at the end of October.
But City, who are appearing in continental club competition for the first time after winning the Nedbank Cup, start in the first round against the Burundian side and will host the first leg early next month.
Should the Durban club advance, they will meet either AS Port Louis 2000 of Mauritius or Botswana’s Jwaneng Galaxy for a place in the group phase.
A total of 56 clubs entered the African Confederation Cup, which has a 4-million US dollar prize for the winner, with the first leg of the first round ties being played on the weekend of September 4-6, followed by the return legs on 11-13 September.
The second round is scheduled for 16-18 October, with the return fixtures taking place between 23-25 October.
The 16 winners from the second round match-ups advance to the group phase of the competition, which will begin at the end of November.
First Preliminary Round
Mogadishu CC (Somalia) vs Kitara FC (Uganda)
ZED FC (Egypt) vs ASAS Djibouti Télécom (Djibouti)
Al Hilal Alsahil (Sudan) vs Welwalo Adigrat (Ethiopia)
KMKM SC (Zanzibar) vs Al Ahly Tripoli (Libya)
Al Ahli Madani (Sudan) vs Tusker FC (Kenya)
Al-Ghazala SC Wau (South Sudan) vs Singida Black Stars (Tanzania)
The Panthers FC (Equatorial Guinea) vs ASPAC FC (Benin)
AS PSI (Chad) vs CO Korhogo (Côte d’Ivoire)
AS Douanes (Mauritania) vs Hafia FC (Guinea)
El Kanemi Warriors (Nigeria) vs UDIB (Guinea-Bissau)
AF Amadou Diallo (Côte d’Ivoire) vs East End Lions FC (Sierra Leone)
Shooting Stars (Nigeria) vs CS Sfaxien (Tunisia)
ES Zarzis (Tunisia) vs Diambars FC (Senegal)
Vitesse FC (Burkina Faso) vs AS Real de Bamako (Mali)
FC Diarra (Mali) vs Nations FC (Ghana)
AS ZAM (Niger) vs ASKO de Kara (Togo)
UNAM (Namibia) vs Kabuscorp de Palanca (Angola)
Red Arrows FC (Zambia) vs FC Rouge (Madagascar)
Durban City FC (South Africa) vs Rukinzo FC (Burundi)
AS Port Louis 2000 (Mauritius) vs Jwaneng Galaxy (Botswana)
Panthère Sportive (Cameroon) vs Rayon Sports FC (Rwanda)
Atomic Ngomé (Comoros) vs Associação Black Bulls (Mozambique)
DC Virunga (DR Congo) vs PTL Bazar Brothers (Seychelles)
Green Mamba (Eswatini) vs CD Primeiro de Agosto (Angola)
First legs: 4-6 September 2026
Second legs: 11-13 September 2026
Second Preliminary Round
Mogadishu CC (Somalia) or Kitara FC (Uganda) vs Al Ahly FC (Egypt)
ZED FC (Egypt) or ASAS Djibouti Télécom (Djibouti) vs Azam FC (Tanzania)
Al Hilal Alsahil (Sudan) or Welwalo Adigrat (Ethiopia) vs KMKM SC (Zanzibar) or Al Ahly Tripoli (Libya)
Al Ahli Madani (Sudan) or Tusker FC (Kenya) vs Al-Ghazala SC Wau (South Sudan) or Singida Black Stars (Tanzania)
The Panthers FC (Equatorial Guinea) or ASPAC FC (Benin) vs USM Alger (Algeria)
AS PSI (Chad) or CO Korhogo (Côte d’Ivoire) vs AS FAR (Morocco)
AS Douanes (Mauritania) or Hafia FC (Guinea) vs CR Belouizdad (Algeria)
El Kanemi Warriors (Nigeria) or UDIB (Guinea-Bissau) vs Raja CA (Morocco)
AF Amadou Diallo (Côte d’Ivoire) or East End Lions FC (Sierra Leone) vs Shooting Stars (Nigeria) or CS Sfaxien (Tunisia)
ES Zarzis (Tunisia) or Diambars FC (Senegal) vs Vitesse FC (Burkina Faso) or AS Real de Bamako (Mali)
FC Diarra (Mali) or Nations FC (Ghana) vs AS ZAM (Niger) or ASKO de Kara (Togo)
UNAM (Namibia) or Kabuscorp de Palanca (Angola) vs AS Maniema Union (DR Congo)
Red Arrows FC (Zambia) or FC Rouge (Madagascar) vs Kaizer Chiefs FC (South Africa)
Durban City FC (South Africa) or Rukinzo FC (Burundi) vs AS Port Louis 2000 (Mauritius) or Jwaneng Galaxy FC (Botswana)
Panthère Sportive (Cameroon) or Rayon Sports FC (Rwanda) vs Atomic Ngomé (Comoros) or Associação Black Bulls (Mozambique)
DC Virunga (DR Congo) or PTL Bazar Brothers (Seychelles) vs Green Mamba (Eswatini) or CD Primeiro de Agosto (Angola)
First legs: 16-18 October 2026
Second legs: 23-25 October 2026