The CAF Confederation Cup returns for the 2026/27 season, with South Africa represented by Kaizer Chiefs and continental debutants Durban City.
Format
A total of 56 clubs have entered this year’s competition, with eight top-ranked sides handed byes straight into the Second Preliminary Round.
The remaining 48 clubs contest 24 two-legged ties in the First Preliminary Round, with the winners joining the eight exempted sides to complete a 32-team Second Preliminary Round.
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South African involvement
Kaizer Chiefs qualified after finishing third in the Betway Premiership, while Durban City earned their spot by winning the Nedbank Cup in May, marking their first appearance in continental football a season after their promotion to the Premiership.
Chiefs have been handed a bye into the Second Preliminary Round as one of the eight seeded clubs, and will face the winner of a tie between Zambia’s Red Arrows and FC Rouge.
Durban City, by contrast, begin in the First Preliminary Round against Burundi’s Rukinzo FC, with the winner of that tie facing the victor of Mauritius’ Port Louis 2000 against Botswana’s Jwaneng Galaxy in the Second Preliminary Round.
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Key dates
The First Preliminary Round first legs are scheduled for 4-6 September 2026, with return legs from 11-13 September. The Second Preliminary Round follows on 16-18 October, with return fixtures from 23-25 October.
The group stage then runs across four matchdays: 27-29 November, 4-6 December, 18-20 December and 8-10 January 2027.
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Prize money
The winners of the 2026/27 CAF Confederation Cup will collect $4 million in prize money. The champions will face the winners of the 2026/27 CAF Champions League in the 2027 CAF Super Cup.
Photo: Sydney Seshibedi/Gallo Images
