The Confédération Africaine de Football (CAF) has officially announced the complete match calendar for the 2026-27 TotalEnergies CAF Champions LeagueCompetition·Champions League and TotalEnergies CAF Confederation Cup seasons. This detailed schedule provides a clear roadmap for Africa's premier club competitions, allowing clubs, national leagues, and supporters to prepare for the upcoming continental challenges.
The 2026-27 season is set to commence with the First Preliminary Round, with the initial legs scheduled for September 4-6, 2026. The decisive return fixtures will follow swiftly, taking place from September 11-13, 2026. The Second Preliminary Round will then unfold in October, with first-leg matches from October 16-18, 2026, and the return legs concluding between October 23-25, 2026.
Following the preliminary stages, the highly anticipated Group Stage of both tournaments will begin at the end of November. Matchday 1 is slated for November 27-29, 2026, with subsequent group stage fixtures extending through December 2026 and January 2027. The final round of group-stage matches, Matchday 6, will be played from January 22-24, 2027, setting the stage for the knockout phase.
The Knockout Stage will commence with the Quarter-Finals in late February and early March 2027. First-leg matches are scheduled for February 26-28, 2027, followed by the second legs from March 5-7, 2027. The Semi-Finals will take place in April 2027, with first legs from April 9-11 and second legs from April 16-18. The continental club season will culminate with the Finals of both competitions, set to be played between May 9 and May 31, 2027.
CAF has also confirmed that the prize money for the upcoming seasons will remain consistent. The winners of the TotalEnergies CAF Champions LeagueCompetition·Champions League will receive USD 6 million, while the TotalEnergies CAF Confederation Cup champions will earn USD 4 million. Additionally, all teams eliminated in the preliminary rounds of both competitions will receive a $100,000 support fund, underscoring CAF's commitment to financial assistance for participating clubs.
This announcement follows a compelling 2025-26 CAF interclub season. Mamelodi Sundowns of South Africa secured their second TotalEnergies CAF Champions LeagueCompetition·Champions League title by defeating AS FARTeam·AS FAR of Morocco 2-1 on aggregate. Coach Miguel Cardoso guided Mamelodi Sundowns to this victory, which also qualifies them for the 2026 CAF Super CupCompetition·CAF Super Cup, the 2026 FIFA Intercontinental Cup, and the 2029 FIFA Club World CupCompetition·FIFA Club World Cup. In the TotalEnergies CAF Confederation Cup, USM Alger of Algeria clinched their second title after a dramatic penalty shootout victory over Zamalek of Egypt, with coach Lamine NdiayeCoach·Lamine Ndiaye's side triumphing 8-7 after a 1-1 aggregate score. USM Alger will also participate in the 2026 CAF Super CupCompetition·CAF Super Cup.
The release of the 2026-27 calendar provides essential clarity for clubs across the continent as they plan their campaigns for continental glory.
Espérance Tunis goal disallowed by referee vs. Mamelodi Sundowns in CAF Champions League. Credit: Wassime Mahjoub/IMAGO
Wassime Mahjoub/IMAGOThis article was generated by AI (gemini-2.5-flash). Learn more.
