The Confederation of African Football (CAF) conducted the draw for the first and second preliminary rounds of the CAF Champions League and CAF Confederation Cup for the 2026-2027 season on Thursday in Cairo, Egypt. Algerian club JS Saoura, the national runner-up, was drawn to host Guinea's Horoya AC in the first leg of their first preliminary round match in the CAF Champions League.
Champions League Fixtures Detailed
MC Alger, the Algerian champion for three consecutive seasons, will compete against AS Niamey from Niger in the first preliminary round of the CAF Champions League. The first leg for MC Alger is scheduled to be played away between September 4 and 6, with the second leg taking place between September 11 and 13. Should MC Alger advance, they will face the winner of the match between Nigeria's Rangers and Benin's Supamba in the second preliminary round. The potential first leg of this second round fixture for MC Alger will be an away match between October 16 and 18, followed by the second leg in Algeria between October 23 and 25.
JS Saoura's first leg match against Guinea's Horoya AC will be played at home between September 4 and 6. The return leg for JS Saoura will be an away fixture in Conakry between September 11 and 13. If JS Saoura qualifies for the second preliminary round, they will host the first leg in Algeria between October 16 and 18. Their opponent would be the winner of the tie between Sudan's Al-Merrikh and Zambia's Power Dynamos. The second leg of this potential second preliminary round match for JS Saoura is slated to be played outside Algeria between October 23 and 25.
Confederation Cup Draw for USM Alger and CR Belouizdad
USM Alger, the winner of the 2026 CAF Confederation Cup, received an exemption from the first preliminary round. Similarly, CR Belouizdad, who finished third in the professional league, was also exempted from the competition's initial stage.
USM Alger will enter the tournament in the second preliminary round, where they are scheduled to face the winner of the match between The Panthers from Equatorial Guinea and Benin's ASAC Concorde. CR Belouizdad will also join in the second preliminary round, playing against the victor of the tie between Mauritania's AS Police and Guinea's Hafia FC.
Both Algerian representatives in the CAF Confederation Cup will play their first leg matches away from home between October 16 and 18. The return legs for USM Alger and CR Belouizdad are set to be held in Algeria between October 23 and 25.
Competition Scale and Context
The Confederation of African Football (CAF) confirmed that 61 teams are slated to participate in the CAF Champions League for the 2026-2027 season. This significant number of entrants shows the breadth of the tournament across the continent. According to CAF, 56 clubs will compete in the CAF Confederation Cup for the same season, noting the scale of both continental club competitions. The preliminary draws, which determine initial pairings, set the stage for these numerous teams to begin their campaigns.