CAF Confirms Enugu Rangers, Rivers United for 2026/27 Champions League Qualifiers

Enugu Rangers and Rivers United will represent Nigeria in the qualifying rounds of the 2026/27 CAF Champions League after the Confederation of African Football (CAF) officially confirmed the list of participating clubs.

CAF announced on Monday that 24 clubs from 12 member associations will compete in the preliminary rounds, with each of the selected countries allocated two slots in Africa’s elite club competition.

The nations with two representatives are Algeria, Angola, Côte d’Ivoire, DR Congo, Egypt, Mali, Morocco, Nigeria, South Africa, Sudan, Tanzania and Tunisia.

The preliminary round will feature several of Africa’s biggest clubs, including defending champions Mamelodi Sundowns alongside fellow South African side Orlando Pirates. Other continental heavyweights include Egypt’s Zamalek and Pyramids, DR Congo’s TP Mazembe, Tunisia’s Esperance, Tanzania’s Young Africans and Simba, as well as Morocco’s Renaissance Berkane.

Nigeria’s representatives, former league champions Enugu Rangers and Rivers United, will begin their quest for a place in the group stage from the opening qualifying round.

CAF also confirmed that 40 other member associations will each be represented by one club. Among them 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 FC.

The governing body noted that representatives from Equatorial Guinea, Guinea-Bissau and Somalia are yet to be determined as their domestic league seasons remain in progress. The current league leaders are 15 de Agosto/Leones Vegetarianos in Equatorial Guinea, Canchungo in Guinea-Bissau and Heegan in Somalia.

CAF also unveiled the competition schedule for the new campaign. The first preliminary round will be played between September 4 and 6, with return fixtures set for September 11 to 13.

The second preliminary round is scheduled for October 16 to 18, while the second-leg matches will take place from October 23 to 25.

The group stage will begin between November 27 and 29 before continuing over six matchdays through January 2027.

Knockout action starts with the quarter-finals on February 26 to 28 and March 5 to 7, followed by the semi-finals on April 9 to 11 and April 16 to 18.

The 2026/27 CAF Champions League final is scheduled for May 2027, with CAF expected to announce the exact date at a later time.

Samuel Ahmadu

Samuel Ahmadu is a distinguished multimedia journalist and women's football expert with over 15 years of experience in the industry. On the back of domestic engagement since 2008, he began his international career journey at Goal.com in February 2014, where he served as an African women's football correspondent for nearly eight years. During his tenure at Goal.com, Samuel covered major events such as three Women's Africa Cup of Nations (2016, 2018, 2022) and the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup in Canada plus 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia. His work at Goal.com earned him widespread acclaim, particularly for his in-depth profiles of African football stars, notably Asisat Oshoala, whose rise he documented from her early years to her breakthrough at the FIFA U20 Women's World Cup in 2014. Prior to his role at Goal.com, Samuel freelanced for various print and broadcast media outlets in Nigeria, including Graphics Newspaper, Radio Nigeria, Grace FM, and Savid Newspaper. His extensive experience and expertise led to his appointment to the Nigeria Football Federation's Standing Committee on Women's Football Development from 2016 to 2018. Since February 2018, Samuel has been the Social Media Manager for Nigeria's women's national teams.In 2019, Samuel joined the Confederation of African Football (CAF) as a women's football content contributor and was promoted to Women's Football Editor in 2021. His contributions to women's football continued as he worked as a Media Consultant for Content Creation and Editorials at the 2022 CAF Women's Champions League. Currently, Samuel also serves as the spokesman for the Nigeria Women Football League, further solidifying his influence and dedication to the growth of women's football in Africa.

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