CAF confirms Rangers, Rivers United, others for 2026/27 Champions League qualifiers

The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has officially released the list of clubs set to vie for the 2026/27 CAF Champions League title. A total of 24 clubs from 12 different countries will participate, each sending two representatives. Nigeria's contingent includes Enugu Rangers and Rivers United, who are slated to begin their campaign in the preliminary rounds.

Other notable nations with two slots in the competition are Algeria (Mouloudia Alger, JS Saoura), Angola (Petro Luanda, Wiliete), Côte d'Ivoire (ASEC Mimosas, San Pedro), DR Congo (TP Mazembe, Aigles), Egypt (Zamalek, Pyramids), Mali (Djoliba, Stade Malien), Morocco (MAS Fes, Renaissance Berkane), South Africa (Orlando Pirates, Mamelodi Sundowns), Sudan (Al Hilal, Al Merrikh), Tanzania (Young Africans, Simba), and Tunisia (Club Africain, Esperance).

In addition to these, CAF confirmed that 40 countries will field a single representative. Among these are Ghana's Medeama, Kenya's Gor Mahia, Guinea's Horoya, Rwanda's APR, Uganda's Vipers, Zambia's Power Dynamos, and Zimbabwe's Scotland. The representatives for Equatorial Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, and Somalia are yet to be confirmed as their domestic leagues are still ongoing.

The preliminary rounds of the prestigious continental club competition are scheduled to kick off between September 4 and 6, with return legs following from September 11 to 13. The second preliminary round will take place from October 16 to 18 and October 23 to 25. The group stage is set to begin on November 27-29 and will continue through various dates until January 24. Knockout stages, including quarter-finals and semi-finals, are planned for February and April respectively, culminating in the final in May.