Heavyweights set for decisive CAF CL battles

The TotalEnergies CAF Champions League 2026/27 enters a decisive phase next month when the Second Preliminary Round gets underway, with some of Africa’s biggest clubs facing potentially difficult assignments for the 16 places in the group stage.

Following the completion of the First Preliminary Round over the weekend, the field has been narrowed and the successful clubs will now be joined by defending champions Mamelodi Sundowns, Espérance and RS Berkane, who received byes into this stage.

The first legs of the Second Preliminary Round will be played from 16-18 October, with the return matches scheduled for 23-25 October. The 16 winners will advance to the group stage, which begins at the end of November.

One of the most intriguing Second Preliminary Round ties will see holders Mamelodi Sundowns begin their title defence against Angola’s Wiliete Sport Clube de Benguela.

Wiliete made an emphatic statement in the opening round by eliminating Foresters FC of Seychelles 5-0 on aggregate, with Angola international Mabululu scoring three of their five goals.

Egyptian giants Zamalek were among the most convincing performers of the First Preliminary Round, completing a 6-1 aggregate victory over AS Port of Djibouti after a 4-0 win in the return leg.

Their reward is a meeting with Rwanda’s APR FC, who produced an impressive turnaround to eliminate Aigles du Congo. After losing the opening leg 1-0, APR responded with a 3-0 victory in Kigali to progress 3-1 on aggregate.

Another heavyweight entering the competition at this stage is four-time champions Espérance, who will meet Libya’s Al-Swehly.

The Libyan side demonstrated their ambitions by comfortably eliminating KVZ of Zanzibar, following their 1-0 first-leg success with a 3-0 victory to advance 4-0 on aggregate.

Former champions Pyramids FC were also among the outstanding performers of the opening round.

The Egyptian side followed their 2-0 victory away to Gor Mahia with a commanding 5-1 home win, completing a 7-1 aggregate triumph.

They now meet South Sudan’s El Merriekh Bentiu, who were equally impressive in their opening assignment, eliminating Heegan FC 4-0 on aggregate.

Tanzania’s Simba SC also produced one of the biggest victories of the First Preliminary Round. After winning 1-0 away to Mighty Wanderers in Malawi, Simba turned on the style in the return leg with a 6-1 victory, progressing 7-1 on aggregate.

Their Second Preliminary Round opponents are Nigerian champions Rangers, who survived one of the tightest ties of the opening round against AS Sobemap of Benin, eventually prevailing on penalties.

One of the headline fixtures will come in DR Congo, where five-time African champions TP Mazembe face Tunisia’s Club Africain.

Mazembe defeated Ghana’s Medeama in both legs, winning 1-0 away before recording a 3-1 home victory to advance 4-1 on aggregate.

Club Africain had a more difficult route, following their 1-0 first-leg victory over Djoliba with a 2-2 draw in Mali to progress 3-2 overall.

The meeting between two former African champions promises to be among the most anticipated contests of the round.

There will also be considerable interest in the meeting between MC Alger and FC San Pedro, while Morocco’s MAS de Fès face Ivory Coast giants ASEC Mimosas.

MC Alger delivered one of the biggest second-leg performances, beating ASN Nigelec 5-0, while MAS de Fès protected the advantage from their emphatic 4-1 first-leg victory over Rahimo by holding the Burkina Faso side goalless in the return.

South Africa’s Orlando Pirates will continue their campaign against Namibia’s African Stars after defeating La Cure Waves of Mauritius 3-1 on aggregate.

African Stars progressed following a dramatic contest with Gabon’s Mangasport, while Pirates will be looking to build on their 3-1 home victory in the return leg against La Cure Waves.

Moroccan giants RS Berkane, another of the clubs given a bye, will begin their campaign against Star Sport Academy of Sierra Leone, while Sudanese giants Al Hilal Omdurman face Ethiopia’s Sidama Bunna.

There is also an intriguing meeting between Young Africans and Madagascar’s CFFA, while Algeria’s Al-Merreikh face Guinea’s Horoya AC, who overturned a first-leg deficit against JS Saoura with an impressive 3-1 return-leg victory.

Meanwhile, one First Preliminary Round tie remains outstanding, with Equatorial Guinea’s 15 de Agosto holding a commanding 4-0 advantage over Fomboni FC of Comoros following their first-leg victory on 11 September.

The return leg is scheduled for 3 October, with the winners advancing to face Tanzania’s Simba SC in the Second Preliminary Round.

With only one round now separating the remaining clubs from the group stage, the Second Preliminary Round is set to provide another demanding test of continental pedigree, form and ambition.

There will be plenty at stake as the clubs continue their pursuit of Africa’s biggest club prize and the record USD 6 million awarded to the TotalEnergies CAF Champions League winners.

CAF will also provide USD 100 000 to clubs eliminated in the Preliminary Rounds to assist with travel and other logistical costs, part of measures aimed at easing the financial burden of participating in continental competition.

TOTALENERGIES CAF CHAMPIONS LEAGUE 2026/27 – Second Preliminary Round fixtures

First legs: 16-18 October 2026 | Return legs: 23-25 October 2026

African Stars (Namibia) v Orlando Pirates (South Africa)

APR FC (Rwanda) v Zamalek (Egypt)

Al-Swehly (Libya) v Espérance Sportive de Tunis (Tunisia)

CFFA (Madagascar) v Young Africans (Tanzania)

El Merriekh Bentiu (South Sudan) v Pyramids FC (Egypt)

Horoya AC (Guinea) v Al-Merriekh (Sudan)

Maghreb Fès (Morocco) v ASEC Mimosas (Ivory Coast)

TP Mazembe (DR Congo) v Club Africain (Tunisia)

Rangers International (Nigeria) v MC Alger (Algeria)

San Pedro (Ivory Coast) v Nouadhibou (Mauritania)