The road to continental club football begins on Thursday, 6 August 2026, when the Confederation of African Football (CAF) conducts the preliminary round draws for the TotalEnergies CAF Champions League and TotalEnergies CAF Confederation Cup at its headquarters in Cairo, Egypt.
The CAF Confederation Cup draw will take place at 14:00 Cairo time (11:00 GMT), followed by the CAF Champions League draw at 15:00 Cairo time (12:00 GMT). Both events will be broadcast live on CAF TV.
The draws will determine the opening-round fixtures as clubs from across the continent begin their quest to reach the group stages of Africa’s premier club competitions.
CAF has confirmed that the winners of the Champions League will receive USD 6 million in prize money, while the Confederation Cup champions will earn USD 4 million. Clubs eliminated in the preliminary rounds will each receive a USD 100,000 solidarity payment, reinforcing CAF’s commitment to supporting participating teams.
South Africa’s Mamelodi Sundowns enter the competition as the defending CAF Champions League champions, while USM Alger of Algeria will defend their CAF Confederation Cup crown.