CAF doubles prize money for preliminary stage participants in 2025/26 interclub competitions

The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has announced a financial boost for clubs taking part in the preliminary rounds of its elite interclub tournaments.

CAF President Dr Patrice Motsepe confirmed that the participation grant for teams in the early stages of the TotalEnergies CAF Champions League and TotalEnergies CAF Confederation Cup will rise from USD 50,000 to USD 100,000 starting from the 2025/26 season.

This increase comes as a record-breaking 120 clubs from across the continent prepare to compete — 62 in the Champions League and 58 in the Confederation Cup — marking the largest combined entry in the history of CAF’s interclub competitions.

The draw for the preliminary rounds will take place on Saturday, 9 August 2025, at Azam Media Studios in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, and will be broadcast live on CAF’s YouTube channel and partner networks.

The preliminary stage will be played over two legs from 19–21 September and 26–28 September, with winners progressing to the second preliminary round on 17–19 October and 24–26 October, then the group stages start 21 November 2025.