CAF confirms Rangers, Rivers United for 2026/27 Champions League Qualifiers
The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has confirmed the list of clubs set to compete in the qualifying rounds of the 2026/27 CAF Champions League, with Enugu Rangers and Rivers United flying Nigeria's flag in the continent's premier club competition.
In the list released on Monday via its official website, CAF announced that 24 clubs from 12 member associations will feature with two representatives each in the preliminary rounds.
The countries with two slots include Algeria, Angola, Côte d'Ivoire, DR Congo, Egypt, Mali, Morocco, Nigeria, South Africa, Sudan, Tanzania and Tunisia.
Among the notable clubs are defending champions Mamelodi Sundowns and Orlando Pirates of South Africa, Egypt's Zamalek and Pyramids, TP Mazembe of DR Congo, Esperance of Tunisia, Young Africans and Simba of Tanzania, as well as Morocco's Renaissance Berkane.
Nigeria will be represented by former champions Enugu Rangers and Rivers United, who will begin their continental campaign in the preliminary round alongside the other clubs from the 12 two-slot nations.
CAF also confirmed that 40 member associations will have one representative each in the competition. They include Medeama of Ghana, Gor Mahia of Kenya, Horoya of Guinea, APR of Rwanda, Vipers of Uganda, Power Dynamos of Zambia and Scotland FC of Zimbabwe.
The continental football governing body added that the representatives of Equatorial Guinea, Guinea-Bissau and Somalia are yet to be confirmed, as their domestic league campaigns are still ongoing. The current league leaders are 15 de Agosto/Leones Vegetarianos in Equatorial Guinea, Canchungo in Guinea-Bissau and Heegan in Somalia.
CAF has also released the competition calendar for the new season. The first preliminary round will be played between September 4 and 6, with the return legs scheduled for September 11 to 13.
The second preliminary round is fixed for October 16 to 18, with the reverse fixtures taking place from October 23 to 25.
The group stage will kick off between November 27 and 29 before continuing across six matchdays stretching into January 2027.
The quarter-finals are scheduled for February 26 to 28 and March 5 to 7, while the semi-finals will be played on April 9 to 11 and April 16 to 18.
The final of the 2026/27 CAF Champions League is slated for May 2027, with CAF expected to announce the exact date in due course.
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