Nigeria’s representatives in the 2025/26 CAF Interclub competitions Remo Stars, Rivers United, Kwara United, and Abia Warriors have discovered their preliminary round opponents following Saturday’s draws for the CAF Champions League and Confederation Cup in Tanzania.

All four clubs will kick off their continental campaigns in September, each facing challenging paths to the group stages.

Remo Stars, champions of the Nigeria Premier Football League last season, begin their CAF Champions League journey against US Zilimadjou of Comoros in the first preliminary round. Victory there would set up a mouthwatering second round clash with South African giants Mamelodi Sundowns, 2016 winners, and one of Africa’s representatives at the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup in the United States.

Rivers United, last season’s NPFL runners-up, will open against the league champions from DR Congo. If successful, they will meet either AC Léopards of the Republic of Congo or Mozambique’s Black Bulls in the next round.

In the CAF Confederation Cup, 2025 Federation Cup winners, Kwara United face a stern first test against Ghanaian heavyweights Asante Kotoko, two-time African champions. Should the Harmony Boys progress, they will battle Moroccan powerhouse Wydad Casablanca, winners in 2017 and 2022, in one of the competition’s most daunting second-round ties.

Abia Warriors, making their continental debut, will take on Mali’s experienced Djoliba AC in the opening round. The winner will advance to face either USFAS of Mali or Togo’s AS Gbohloe-su in the next stage.

This season’s CAF Interclub competitions will feature a record 120 clubs, 62 in the Champions League, and 58 in the Confederation Cup. CAF President Dr Patrice Motsepe announced that financial support for preliminary round participants has doubled from $50,000 to $100,000, part of a broader push to boost the competitiveness and financial sustainability of African club football.

The preliminary rounds will be played over two legs on September 19–21 and September 26–28. Second-round ties are set for October 17–19 and October 24–26, with group-stage action kicking off on November 21. From there, the best sides will battle through to the knockout rounds starting March 13, 2026.