CAF Confederation Cup preliminary round draw: Kotoko paired against Nigeria’s Kwara United, Zamalek, WAC receive a bye

The 2025-2026 CAF Confederation Cup is expected to produce mouthwatering competitions among top continental clubs when it kicks off in September across various venues.

The draws for the preliminary round was held at the Azam Media Studios in Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania with top North African giants, Wydad Athletic Club, Zamalek, USMA, Al Masry, JS Kabylie and South Africa’s Stellenbosch all drawing a bye.

Three-time CAF Champions League winners, Wydad Athletic Club have been drawn a bye, awaiting the two-leg winner between Ghana’s FA Cup winners and two-time African champions Asante Kotoko and Nigeria side, Kwara United in the preliminary round.

One of the picks of the fixtures will be an encounter between Senegal outfit Generation Foot and Ivory Coast side Amad Diallo with the winner of the two-legged tie advancing to face one-time winners, USMA of Algeria.

Another Algeria outfit, CR Belouizdad will be looking forward to the winner between Sierra Leone’s Bhantal FC and Guinea’s Hafia FC. Seven-time Burkina Faso champions, USFA are up against Togo’s Gbohloe-su with the winner accounting for the victor in the game between Abia Warriors of Nigeria and Djoliba FC of Mali.

Four-time Tunisia champions, Stade Tunisien are paired against ASC SNIM of Mauritania with the winner battling the victor from the fixture between Niger’s ASN Nigelec and Morocco’s Olympique Club Safi.

Two-time CAF Confederation Cup winners and Egypt giants, Zamalek will await the winner between Somalia’s Dekedaha FC and Alzamala UMR of the Comoros Island with Al Masry welcoming the either Wolitta Dicha SC of Ethiopia or Libya 2 in the next phase of the competition.

The competition kicks off with the first preliminary stage between 19–21 September for the first leg, with return fixtures on 26–28 September. Successful teams will advance to the second preliminary stage, scheduled for 17–19 October (first leg) and 24–26 October (second leg).

Below are the full fixtures of the 2025-2026 CAF Confederation Cup preliminary round fixtures:

• Asante Kotoko (Ghana) vs Kwara United (Nigeria)
• Generation Foot (Senegal) vs  AFAD Djékanou (Ivory Coast)
• Bhantal FC (Sierra Leone) vs Hafia FC (Guinea)
• USFA (Burkina Faso) vs AS Gbohloe-su (Togo)
• Abia Warriors (Nigeria) vs Djoliba AC (Mali)
• ASN Nigelec (Niger) vs OCS (Morocco)
• Stade Tunisien (Tunisia) vs ASC SNIM (Mauritania)
• Aigle Royal (Cameroon) vs San Pedro (Ivory Coast)
• Black Man Warrior (Liberia) vs Coton Sport (Cameroon)
• Dekadaha (Somalia) vs Al Zamalek Umr (South Sudan)
• Wolaita Dicha (Ethiopia) vs Libya 2 (Libya)
• NEC FC (Uganda) vs Nairobi United (Kenya)
• Al Ahli Madani (Sudan) vs Etoile Sahel (Tunisia)
• Flambeau du Centre (Burundi) vs Libya 1 (Libya)
• Rayon Sport (Rwanda) vs Singida Black Stars (Tanzania)
• Foresters FC (Zambia) vs FC 15 Agosto (Equatorial Guinea)
• FC 105 (Gabon) vs Zesco United (Zambia)
• Mighty Wanderers (Malawi) vs Galaxy FC (Botswana)
• DR Congo 2 (DR Congo) vs Djabal FC (Comoros)
• Kabuscorp (Angola) vs Kaizer Chiefs (South Africa)
• DR Congo 1 (DR Congo) vs Pamplemousses (Mauritius)
• Young African (Tanzania) vs Royal Leopards (Eswatini)
• Ferroviario de Maputo (Mozambique) vs AS Fanalanga (Madagascar)
• Primeiro de Agosto (Angola) vs AS Otoho (Republic of the Congo)
• AS Port (Djibouti) vs KMKM SC (Zanzibar)
• El Merriekh Bentiu (South Sudan) vs Azam FC (Tanzania)