CAF sets date and location for CAF Champions League and CAF Confederation Cup draw

Pan-Africa Football has learned from its own sources that the Confederation of African Football (CAF) has officially decided to hold the draw for the preliminary rounds of the 2025-2026 Champions League and Confederation Cup in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, alongside the 2024 CHAN, which will be held in Tanzania, Kenya, and Uganda.

According to the same sources, CAF has decided to hold the draw ceremony no later than August 12, 2025. The African football governing body has set the dates for its interclub competitions for the 2025-2026 season as follows:

First Preliminary Round: September 19-21, 2025

Return Leg: September 26-28, 2025

Second Preliminary Round: October 17-19, 2025

Return Leg: October 24-26, 2025

Group Stage

Matchday 1: November 21-23, 2025

Matchday 2: November 28-30, 2025

Matchday 3: January 23-25, 2026

Matchday 4: January 30 – February 1, 2026

Matchday 5: February 6-8, 2026

Matchday 6: February 13-15, 2026

Quarterfinals:

First Leg: March 13-15, 2026

Return Leg: March 20-22, 2026

Semifinals:

First leg: April 10-12, 2026

Return leg: April 17-19, 2026

Final

During the period from May 8 to 24, 2026

Player registration dates:

The first registration period for the preliminary round runs from August 1, 2025, to August 31, 2025.

The second registration period for the second preliminary round runs from September 1, 2025, to September 30, 2025.

The registration period for the group stage runs from October 1 to 31, 2025.

The registration period for the remainder of the group stage and knockout matches runs from January 1 to January 31, 2026.