Boost for Rivers United as CAF introduces mid-season player registration window

By Dayo Awoniyi

The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has announced new player registration regulations for clubs competing in the CAF Champions League and Confederation Cup group stages, NigeriaFootballNG reports.

The draws for both continental tournaments were held on Monday in Johannesburg, confirming 16 elite clubs, including Nigeria’s Rivers United, for the Champions League group phase.

Under the revised framework, CAF stated that participating clubs will be allowed to register new players between January 1 and 31, 2026, aligning with the international mid-season transfer window. The new provision gives teams a valuable opportunity to strengthen their squads before the decisive stages of the competition.

However, CAF clarified that newly signed players will only be eligible to feature in group stage matches if their registration on the CAF digital system is completed at least 72 hours before kickoff of any scheduled fixture.

The group stage matches are scheduled to begin in November and run through mid-February, maintaining CAF’s adjusted competition calendar for the 2025/26 season.

Rivers United, Nigeria’s sole representative in the Champions League group stage, will look to take advantage of the new rule as they prepare to face some of Africa’s most formidable sides in their quest for continental success.