South African Thembinkosi Lorch was among the goals as Wydad Casablanca of Morocco hammered Asante Kotoko of Ghana 5-1 on Friday to reach the CAF Confederation Cup group phase.

Three-time African champions Wydad led 1-0 from the first leg of the second round qualifier and progressed 6-1 on aggregate to the November 3 mini-leagues draw in Johannesburg.

Former Orlando Pirates and Mamelodi Sundowns forward Lorch converted a 54th-minute penalty with a cheeky chip to give his club a 3-1 lead on the night and effectively take the tie beyond Kotoko.

Full-time 🏁
Qualification confirmed 👊#DimaWydad pic.twitter.com/PaFvUkYYKT

— Wydad Athletic Club (@WACofficiel) October 24, 2025

Wydad scored twice more in the closing stages, through Oussama Zemraoui from another penalty and Mohamed Bouchouari to confirm they will be among the title favourites.

Hamza Hannouri put the Moroccan outfit ahead in the first minute, Gilbani Samba equalised and Burkinabe Stephane Aziz Ki regained the lead to give the hosts a 2-1 half-time advantage.

Aziz with the second! ⚽🔥#DimaWydad pic.twitter.com/NTztQt5TJ3

— Wydad Athletic Club (@WACofficiel) October 24, 2025

Zamalek of Egypt, who have won the African equivalent of the UEFA Europa League twice, had a surprisingly narrow 1-0 win over Dekedaha of Somalia in Cairo to finish 7-0 overall winners.

After scoring six against the Somalis in the first leg last weekend, the White Knights were expected to win convincingly again.

Qualified for the group stage. ✅ #CAFCC#DimaWydad pic.twitter.com/Y7txHjSGFK

— Wydad Athletic Club (@WACofficiel) October 24, 2025

Tanzanian outfit AZAM crushed KMKM of Zanzibar 7-0 in Dar es Salaam after taking a two-goal lead into the return match.

A feature of African club football in recent seasons has been the improvement of Tanzanian clubs and the arrival of Congolese coach Florent Ibenge has boosted AZAM hopes of going far this season.

Nigerian Sunday Adetunji scored twice as Al Hilal of Sudan beat Police of Kenya 3-1 to qualify for the CAF Champions League group phase.

Hilal, appearing in the premier African club competition a record 39th time, advanced 4-1 on aggregate on Friday having won the first leg 1-0 in Nairobi.

Adetunji, a recent Hilal recruit after stints with clubs in North Macedonia, Serbia, Slovenia and Kosovo, claimed the only goal of the first half.

Erick Zakayo levelled for Champions League debutants Police before Adetunji struck again and Mauritian Ahmed Salem netted deep in added time for Hilal.

#CAFCL

Bwa mbere mu mateka Power Dynamos FC yo muri Zambiya igeze mu matsinda ya CAF Champions League

Isezereye Vipers SC y'i Bugande ku giteranyo cy'ibitego 3-2

FT🇿🇲Power Dynamos 1-1 Vipers SC🇺🇬
⚽Moses Shumah 67'| Abdul Kalim Watambala 80'#africanfootball pic.twitter.com/7XJUYzQOu9

— 𝐒𝐚𝐦𝐢𝐫 𝐒𝐲𝐥𝐯𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐞 𝐍𝐬𝐚𝐧𝐳𝐢𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐚 (@SamirSylva) October 24, 2025

The match was played in Libyan city Benghazi because of the Sudanese civil war. Drones targeted the capital Khartoum for a third consecutive day on Thursday.

Power Dynamos of Zambia also secured a place in the group draw, set for Johannesburg on November 3, despite being held 1-1 by Vipers of Uganda in Ndola.

The Zambian outfit earned a mini-league place for the first time in five attempts thanks to a 2-1 victory in Kampala last weekend, which took them through 3-2 on aggregate.

Kenyan Moses Shumah scored for Power on 69 minutes and Abdul Karim Watambala equalised with 10 minutes of regular time remaining.

Orlando Pirates stand to lose US$600 000 or around R10,4 million, if they are eliminated from the African Champions League at the weekend, in what will be a hefty blow to the club’s finances.

Pirates have to fight back from a 0-3 deficit to stand any chance of qualifying for the Champions League group phase after a surprise loss away against St Eloi Lupopo of the Democratic Republic of Congo in Lubumbashi last Sunday.

The minimum prize money in the group phase is $700 000, going up to $4 million for the winner, plus a vastly more lucrative berth in the next Club World Cup in 2029.

But if Pirates fail to get past their Congolese opponents at the Orlando Stadium on Saturday, they will receive only $100 000 for participating in this year’s Champions League, which could not even be enough to cover their costs of playing two rounds of preliminary knockout competition, including chartering a Cemair plane to Lubumbashi and back last weekend.

This is only the second year that clubs eliminated from African club competition before the group phase receive money. It has been increased 100 per cent from $50 000 last season but is still markedly less than the lucrative spoils for the 16 clubs who advance to the group phase.

Last year, the Confederation of African Football announced a new prize money structure for both the Champions League and the African Confederation Cup, and the monies handed out after the 2024-25 campaign are expected to stay the same for this season.

The last increase in prize monies for the two competitions was a 40 per cent improvement.

In the Champions League, the winner gets $4 million - an increase from the $2.5 million for the winner of the 2024 final.

The runner-up will receive $2 million. The semifinalists receive $1.2 million each, while each club that reaches the quarterfinals will receive $900 000. Teams that finish in third and fourth place in the group stage will each receive $700 000, bringing the total prize pool to $17.6 million.

In the Confederation Cup, the prize money for the winner has increased from $1.25 million to $2 million.

The runner-up gets $1 million, with $750 000 for the semifinalists and $550 000 for those teams eliminated in the quarterfinals. The teams eliminated in the group phase receive $400 000.

Orlando Pirates will have to do what no other South African club has previously done if they are to avoid an embarrassingly early exit from the African Champions League at the weekend.

Pirates must fight back from a 0-3 deficit in Soweto on Saturday after losing the first leg of their second round tie to unfancied St Eloi Lupopo from the Democratic Republic of Congo in Lubumbashi last Sunday.

No South African side has ever come back from a deficit of three or more goals suffered in the first leg of an African club competition knockout round tie, leaving the odds stacked against the Buccaneers, who had lofty ambitions of continental success this season.

Saturday’s second leg is at the Orlando Stadium and kicks off at 3pm with the aggregate winner advancing to the group phase next month.

TRIED BUT FAILED

Previous large deficits have seen Kaizer Chiefs suffering a 4-0 loss to Tunisia’s Espérance in the third round of the Champions League in 2005 and going out before the group phase when they could only win the return 2-1.

In the same competition in 2014, Chiefs lost 3-0 away at AS Vita Club in Kinshasa and failed to overturn the deficit in the return leg at home although they did come close as they won 2-0.

Cape Town City lost 3-0 at home in the first leg of their 2022-23 Champions League second round clash with Petro Atlético from Angola and then went down 1-0 away in Luanda in the return.

In the Confederation Cup in 2005, SuperSport United lost 4-1 to Nigeria’s Dolphins in the first leg of their fourth-round tie and could only draw 2-2 at home in the second leg.

In the same competition in 2016, Bidvest Wits sent a second-string side to Azam of Tanzania and lost 3-0 and were then beaten 4-3 at home in the return leg.

Jomo Cosmos lost 3-0 to Mansoura of Egypt away in the first leg of their 1997 African Cup Winners’ Cup quarterfinal and drew 2-2 in the return to be eliminated.

Pirates have to win 3-0 to take Saturday’s tie to a post-match penalty shootout (there is no extra time in CAF club competition ties) or by four or more goals to win on aggregate.

There have been cases of South African clubs overturning a two-goal deficit from the first leg of a knockout round tie, notably when SuperSport took on Lupopo in the Confederation Cup in 2005.

It was 2-0 to the Congolese in Lubumbashi, but SuperSport won the return 2-0 and advanced on post-match penalties.

Black Leopards, Santos and Mamelodi Sundowns have also come back from two-goal deficits to win knockout round ties in previous years.

The Confédération Africaine de Football (CAF) has confirmed that the highly anticipated Group Stage Draw for the 2025/26 TotalEnergies CAF Champions League and TotalEnergies CAF Confederation Cup will take place on 3 November 2025 in Johannesburg, South Africa.

The draw will be staged at the studios of CAF’s official broadcast partner, SuperSport, and will be broadcast live to millions of fans across the continent and beyond. The event marks a pivotal moment in African club football, as 32 teams—16 in each competition—learn their fate ahead of the group stage battles.

The schedule for the draw is as follows:

- TotalEnergies CAF Confederation Cup: 1pm (SA time)

- TotalEnergies CAF Champions League: 2pm (SA time)

Fans can tune in live on SuperSport to witness the unveiling of the groups, which will set the stage for the next phase of Africa’s premier club competitions.

Before the draw, the final qualification hurdle will be cleared this weekend as clubs across the continent contest the second-leg ties of the final preliminary round. These decisive matches will determine the 16 teams that advance to the group stages of both the Champions League and Confederation Cup.

With the group stage kicking off later in November, anticipation is building among fans, clubs, and stakeholders. The draw not only shapes the competitive landscape but also ignites the dreams of clubs aiming to etch their names in African football history.

Stay tuned for updates and full coverage of the draw on SuperSport and CAF’s official platforms.

Orlando Pirates’ 3-0 loss in the Democratic Republic of Congo brought an abrupt end to a club record of eight wins in a row and also a bid to try and beat the record of matches without goals conceded.

Pirates were handed a heavy defeat by FC St Eloi Lupopo in the first leg of their African Champions League second round tie after winning their previous eight games – four in the league, two in the Champions League, their Carling Knockout first round victory, and the 3-0 extra time triumph over Stellenbosch in the MTN8 final.

In each of those matches, Pirates have kept a clean sheet, and the eight-match run is also the best for the club in the Premier Soccer League era.

Before travelling to Lubumbashi over the weekend, their last goal conceded was in the 1-1 draw with Mamelodi Sundowns at Atteridgeville when Iqraam Rayners put Sundowns ahead after 17 minutes, only for Kamogelo Sebelebele to equalise with 17 minutes left to play.

Pirates went 826 minutes without letting in a goal before Lupopo’s Wanet Kashala stunned them with a third-minute strike on Sunday.

The record for the most matches in a row without conceding belongs to the now-defunct Wits University from near the start of the 2003-04 season.

Roger de Sa’s side started their campaign with a 2-1 win over Kaizer Chiefs in the Top Eight competition and then went on to play 12 successive games without conceding a goal, starting with two in a row against Moroka Swallows (in the league on August 22, 2003, and then the Top Eight), followed by Chiefs (league), Jomo Cosmos, Mamelodi Sundowns, Lamontville Golden Arrows, Ajax Cape Town, Hellenic, Black Leopards (twice in a row in the Coca-Cola Cup and league), SuperSport United, and Cosmos again, in the cup.

The run came to an end after 1121 minutes (18.6 hours) when Chiefs beat them 3-0 in the Coca-Cola Cup semifinal on November 26, with Sibusiso Dlamini’s goal bringing the streak to an end.

That game was, ironically, the second in what became a run of nine matches without conceding for Chiefs the same season – the second best by a team in the PSL era.

It started for Chiefs on November 9, 2003, when they beat Manning Rangers and extended with wins over Wits (Coca-Cola Cup semi), Dynamos, Silver Stars (Coca-Cola Cup final), Pirates, Zulu Royals, Santos, Hellenic, and Arrows.

It ended after 880 minutes (14.6 hours) when Malawian Russell Mwafulirwa scored for Cosmos in a 1-1 league draw on February 22, 2004.

That proved a remarkable season for records because SuperSport achieved the feat of seven wins in a row with seven clean sheets also in the 2003-04 campaign. That was the best combination before Pirates beat it in the last weeks.

SuperSport began their run with a 5-0 home victory over Namibia’s Civics in the Champions League, then beat Sundowns in the league; Cosmos, Civics again in the second leg in Windhoek; Rangers, Wits, and then Zulu Royals in the second round of the Absa Cup. The run of wins and clean sheets ended with a 1-1 draw in Mauritius in the second round of the Champions League against AS Port Louis 2000.

Mamelodi Sundowns scored five goals in Nigeria and Orlando Pirates conceded three in the Democratic Republic of Congo on Sunday in a mixed day for South Africa in CAF Champions League qualifying.

Sundowns were runners-up to Egyptian side Pyramids in the premier African club competition last season and once again rank among the favourite to pocket the $4 million first prize.

But despite being among the Champions League title contenders for many seasons, not even their most partisan supporters foresaw a 5-1 second round, first leg victory over Remo Stars in Abeokuta.

Mamelodi Sundowns make a massive statement against Nigeria's Remo Stars 👆🟡#TotalEnergiesCACL | #SSFootball pic.twitter.com/q8bcTMdcZd

— SuperSport Football ⚽️ (@SSFootball) October 19, 2025

Namibian Peter Shalulile, Portuguese Miguel Reisinho and Brazilian Arthur Sales were among the five scorers for Sundowns, who led 2-0 at half-time.

While no Nigerian club has won the Champions League since Enyimba in 2004, representatives from the most populous country in Africa are usually competitive at home in continental competitions.

Pirates were semifinals losers to Pyramids last season and there were expectations that they would go far again.

A 3-0 loss to Saint-Eloi Lupopo in Lubumbashi, however, means the odds are against the Buccaneers even reaching the group stage that follows the second round.

☠️ FT | @fcsteloilupopo 3 - 0 @orlandopirates

⚫⚪🔴⭐#MatchDay#TotalEnergiesCAFCL #OrlandoPirates#OnceAlways pic.twitter.com/C5ADnkbHRk

— Orlando Pirates (@orlandopirates) October 19, 2025

Making a rare Champions League appearance, Lupopo were ahead inside three minutes through Wanet Kashala and Burkinabe Dramane Kambou and Jean Benoit Tukumbane scored in the second half.

While the away-goal rule has been scrapped in European club competitions, it remains in Africa.

Were Lupopo to score once in South Africa on Saturday, Pirates would have to do so five times to survive.

Another potentially serious contender to build a 3-0 advantage were Tanzanian outfit Simba away to Nsingizini Hotspurs from Eswatini.

Kibu Denis netted twice in the closing stages for the Dar es Salaam club, who were runners-up in the second-tier CAF Confederation Cup last season.

After four failed attempts, Zambian champions Power Dynamos are poised to reach the group phase a first time, and pocket a minimum $700 000.

They came from behind to beat Vipers from Uganda 2-1 in Kampala, where Derrick Ndahiro conceded an own goal on 77 minutes after Kenyan Moses Shumah had equalised.

Danish coach Jess Thorup made a winning debut in the CAF Champions League on Saturday when his Al Ahly side won 1-0 at Aigle Noir of Burundi in Bujumbura in their qualifier first leg.

An own goal decided the second-round game in east Africa as Kanyamukenge Iragi deflected a Mohamed Hany cross into his own net on 36 minutes.

Thorup replaced Spaniard Jose Riveiro, who joined the record 12-time African champions in mid-2025 from South African club Orlando Pirates.

A winning start to our CAF Champions League campaign 💪🦅 pic.twitter.com/uqT7zKKdTY

— Al Ahly SC 🇬🇧 (@AlAhlyEnglish) October 18, 2025

Riveiro was sacked after winning only one of four Egyptian Premier League matches. He also failed to take Ahly past the group stage at the Club World Cup in the United States.

Thorup previously coached in Denmark, Belgium and Germany. He was fired by Bundesliga outfit Augsburg last May.

Ahly won the Champions League in 2023 and 2024 but, for a fourth time, failed to follow up back-to-back triumphs with a record third straight title.

Perfect CAF Champions League debut 🤩 pic.twitter.com/xiohGRAw6c

— Al Ahly SC 🇬🇧 (@AlAhlyEnglish) October 18, 2025

They lost to Mamelodi Sundowns on away goals in the semi-finals last season, and both clubs will again be among the favourites.

Ahly and Sundowns received first-round qualifying byes and the South Africans face a potential tricky away fixture against Remo Stars in Nigeria on Sunday.

The other Nigerian contenders, Rivers United, suffered a setback in the final qualifying round before the 16-club group stage when losing 1-0 to Black Bulls of Mozambique in Maputo.

Moctar Diallo, a 20-year-old Senegalese, was Bulls' match-winner with a goal five minutes into the second half.

Another visiting team to lose were experienced African campaigners Young Africans of Tanzania, who fell 1-0 to Silver Strikers of Malawi in Lilongwe, where Andrew Joseph scored the 76th-minute winner.

Away victories for four-time champions Esperance of Tunisia and Angolan side Petro Luanda put them in pole position to reach the group stage.

Kaizer Chiefs and Orlando Pirates head off to Lubumbashi this weekend for the first case of two South African clubs playing in the same venue on the same weekend in African club competition matches.

Chiefs are first up on Saturday in the first leg of their African Confederation Cup second round clash against AS Simba, who are newcomers to continental competition, while Pirates are in action on Sunday against St Eloi Lupopo in the Champions League.

Both games are at the TP Mazembe Stadium in the southern Congolese city.

There is a long history of clashes between clubs from the Democratic Republic of Congo and South Africa with 57 past meetings. South African clubs have won 24 times, with 17 draws and 16 defeats, and the goal count is 70 scored and 62 conceded.

Supersport.com details all the past meetings, the first of which was more than three decades ago:

1993 Cup Winners’ Cup: Jomo Cosmos beat DC Motema Pembe on the away goals rule in the quarterfinal as South Africa competed in the Confederation of African Football club competition for the first time.

1994 Champions Cup: Mamelodi Sundowns were eliminated in the second round on the away goals rule after a 4-4 aggregate draw with AS Vita Club.

2001 Champions League: Sundowns drew 0-0 away at Mazembe and then beat them 1-0 at home in the group phase, going on to reach the final.

2002 Champions League: Pirates were knocked out in the second round 4-2 on aggregate by Mazembe.

2005 Confederation Cup: SuperSport United lost 2-0 away to St Eloi Lupopo in the first leg of their third round tie but then won 2-0 at home and went on to take the penalty shootout 3-2.

The #TotalEnergiesCAFCC Second Preliminary Round.

Here's the first leg line-up! 👇 pic.twitter.com/3036er45M4

— TotalEnergies CAFCL & CAFCC 🏆 (@CAFCLCC) October 16, 2025

2007 Confederation Cup: Sundowns were in the same group as Mazembe, beating them 3-2 at home but losing 1-3 away and failing to progress.

2009 Confederation Cup: Sundowns were knocked out by Vita 3-2 on aggregate in the second round.

2012 Confederation Cup: Black Leopards beat St Eloi Lupopo 6-4 on aggregate in the second round and got as far as the fourth round.

2013 Champions League: Pirates overcame a host of shenanigans in Lubumbashi with two penalty saves from Senzo Meyiwa to eliminate Mazembe 3-2 on aggregate and advance to the group stage.

2013 Confederation Cup: SuperSport overcame Don Bosco from Lubumbashi 4-3 on aggregate in the first round.

2014 Champions League: Kaizer Chiefs lost 3-0 in the first leg to Vita in Kinshasa and were only able to win 2-0 in the return, missing out on the group phase.

2015 Champions League: Sundowns met Mazembe for a place in the group stage and won 1-0 at home but were eliminated after a 3-1 away loss in the second leg.

2016 Champions League: Sundowns lost on the away goals to Vita after a 2-2 aggregate draw but then advanced to the group stage when it was found Vita had fielded a defaulter in the earlier round.

The Second Preliminary Round starts tomorrow!

Here's what's on the schedule for the first leg in the #TotalEnergiesCAFCL. 🤩 pic.twitter.com/sNdin2NFCE

— TotalEnergies CAFCL & CAFCC 🏆 (@CAFCLCC) October 16, 2025

2017 Super Cup: Sundowns edged Mazembe 1-0 to take the Super Cup at Loftus Versfeld with a late penalty from Brazilian defender Ricardo Nascimento.

2017 Champions League: Sundowns beat Vita 3-1 away in Kinshasa and drew 1-1 with them at home in the group stage as they advanced to the quarterfinals.

2017 Confederation Cup: SuperSport finished runners-up to Mazembe in the final 1-2 on aggregate, having drawn with them twice earlier when they were in the same group.

2020-21 Champions League: Sundowns won both home and away against Mazembe in the group competition but then got knocked out in the quarterfinal.

2020-21 Confederation Cup: Bloemfontein Celtic’s first-round debut on the continent saw them win 2-0 away but then lose at home and have to edge past Maniema Union on post-match spot kicks.

2021-22 Champions League: Sundowns had to get past Maniema in the second round to qualify for the group stage and did so 4-2 on aggregate.

2021-22 Champions League: AmaZulu, under Benni McCarthy, were making their African club competition debut and upset Mazembe on the away goals rule to reach the group stage at the first time of asking.

2021-22 Confederation Cup: Marumo Gallants had back-to-back Congolese opponents in their debut, beating Vita 3-2 on aggregate but then going out to Mazembe 0-1 on aggregate.

2022-23 Confederation Cup: Gallants beat St Eloi Lupopo twice in the group stage and went on to reach the semifinals but also got relegated from the league. Royal AM made their debut in African competition and got to the third round before Mazembe beat them both home and away.

2023-24 Champions League: Sundowns lost in Lubumbashi to Mazembe in their first group meeting but beat them in Pretoria to go through and reach the semifinals.

2023-24 Confederation Cup: Sekhukhune’s first foray into CAF competition was a 3-1 home win over St Eloi Lupopo in the first round and a 1-1 draw away in the return as they went through to the group stage.

2024-25 Champions League: Maniema got through to the group phase for the first time and handed Sundowns a shock with a 0-0 draw in Pretoria but a 2-1 win for the South Africans in Kinshasa in the return saw them go through and eventually get to the final.

2024-25 Confederation Cup: New boys Stellenbosch made it all the way to the semifinal, which included a second round triumph over Vita 3-1 on aggregate during which their coach Abdeslam Ouaddou quit.

Title-holders Pyramids of Egypt cruised into the final qualifying round of the 2025-26 CAF Champions League on Sunday after beating APR of Rwanda 3-0 in Cairo.

The dominant performance, coupled with a 2-0 first round, first leg win in Kigali last Wednesday, gave the defending champions a 5-0 aggregate victory in the premier African club competition.

It was the third consecutive season in which the clubs have met in the qualifying phase for the 16-club group competition.

Pyramids won 6-1 on aggregate in 2023 and 4-2 overall last season. Not ranked among the favourites, the Cairo outfit went on to upset Mamelodi Sundowns of South Africa 3-2 over two legs in the 2024-25 final.

Mostafa Ziko put Pyramids in front against APR after 43 minutes in the Egyptian capital. Ahmed Atef and Mohamed Hamdy then scored within two minutes midway through the second half.

Pyramids are due to play Insurance in Ethiopia between October 17-19, but a new date will have to be found as they meet Renaissance Berkane of Morocco that weekend for the CAF Super Cup.

The home win over APR was the fourth in a row in international competitions for Pyramids under 55-year-old Croatian coach Krunoslav Jurcic.

Before overcoming APR, Pyramids beat Auckland City of New Zealand and Al Ahly of Saudi Arabia to secure a Fifa Challenger Cup play-off against Cruz Azul of Mexico or the South American champions.

Qatar will host the play-off on December 13 and the winners face Uefa Champions League title-holders Paris Saint-Germain four days later in the Intercontinental Cup final.

In another CAF Champions League second leg, Saint-Eloi Lupopo from the Democratic Republic of Congo forced a 0-0 draw away to Al Merrikh of Sudan to advance 1-0 on aggregate.

Lupopo will face Orlando Pirates of South Africa in the final qualifying round.

Both Kaizer Chiefs and Orlando Pirates will be heading to Lubumbashi in the Democratic Republic of Congo in their African club competition second-round tie after the belated completion of first-round fixtures on Saturday.

In what will be a first for both in their long history, they will be heading outside of the country for the first time together, and to the same destination, on the same weekend, playing their first leg ties away at the TP Mazembe Stadium.

In the African Champions League, Pirates will be taking on St Eloi Lupopo after they produced a shock and held the Sudanese Al Merrikh to a goalless draw in the second leg of their first-round scrimmage.

Lupopo had won the first leg in Lubumbashi last weekend and in Saturday’s second leg, played in Libya because of the civil war in Sudan, held out for a narrow aggregate triumph.

Lupopo are the second club in the southern city of Lubumbashi, in the shadow of richer neighbours TP Mazembe.

Chiefs will take on AS Simba in the second round of the Confederation Cup after the Congolese outfit completed a 3-0 aggregate triumph over Djabal of Comoros.

Both legs were played in Lubumbashi because the Comorian club did not have a suitable home ground.

The first leg last weekend was Simba’s home match and they won 1-0 and Djabal ‘hosted’ the second leg on Saturday where Ilunga Nsungu scored a double – with goals either side of halftime – to hand Simba progress.

Simba hail from Kolwezi, some 300km from Lubumbashi, and are competing in continental competition for the first time. Their stadium cannot be used for African club competition matches, so they are playing in Lubumbashi.

They qualified for the Confederation Cup with a 1-0 win over FC MK Etanchéité of Kinshasa in last season’s Coupe du Congo final.

Chiefs will likely play on Sunday, October 19, with Pirates playing on Saturday, October 18.

The return legs are on the weekend of October 24-26.

 

Both Kaizer Chiefs and Orlando Pirates will belatedly find out the identity of their next opponents on Saturday.

There is a chance both will take on opposition from the Democratic Republic of Congo in the second round of their respective competitions.

An impasse over the identity of the Congolese representatives in this season’s continental competitions delayed the ties involving their teams, which has meant the two Soweto giants have had to wait to see who they next play.

Pirates, who easily overcame Lioli from Lesotho 7-0 on aggregate in the Champions League first round, take on either St Eloi Lupopo from Lubumbashi or the Sudanese club Al Merrikh.

The first leg of their tie was played last weekend in Lubumbashi and saw the host score a narrow 1-0 home win with a late goal from Jonathan Mokonzi.

The return leg is at the Benina Martyrs Stadium in Benghazi, Libya, on Saturday. Al Merrikh are forced to play their home matches in neutral venues because of the civil conflict in Sudan.

Chiefs, who had a narrow penalty shootout victory over Kabuscorp of Angola in their Confederation Cup first round tie, take on either AS Simba from Kolwezi or Djabal from the Comoros.

Djabal also do not have a suitable home venue in the Comoros, so have elected to play both the home and away leg in the Mazembe Stadium in Lubumbashi. Lubumabshi.

Last Sunday was Simba’s home leg, and they only won 1-0, giving Djabal hopes of an upset comeback. Simba’s own home ground in Kolwezi was not passed for use in international fixtures, so they are forced to play some 300km from their home.

Star striker Fiston Mayele scored twice as Pyramids of Egypt began their Caf Champions League title defence with a 2-0 away victory over APR of Rwanda in Kigali on Wednesday.

Congolese Mayele struck after 50 and 86 minutes of the first round first leg qualifier at a stadium named after deceased Brazilian superstar Pele.

Careless passing by the home team led to both goals, and the result virtually assures Pyramids of progress to the second and final qualifying round. The return match is in Cairo on Sunday.

Mayele, the leading scorer in the premier African club competition last season with nine goals, displayed clinical finishing to punish the APR errors.

The 31-year-old held off the challenges of three opponents to open the scoring with a shot that flew into the net at the near post.

 

ماييلي يختار الشناوي رجلًا للمباراة 🎖️🔝#Pyramids | #ملوك_الكرة | #APRPYR pic.twitter.com/HMvaGAEamL

— Pyramids FC (@pyramidsfc) October 1, 2025

 

Abdelrahman Magdy set up the first goal and was also the architect of the second, sending Mayele through to score with a low shot into the far corner.

This is the third consecutive season that the clubs have met in a Champions League qualifier, with Pyramids winning 6-1 on aggregate in 2023 and 4-2 last year.

Insurance of Ethiopia await APR or Pyramids in the second round. The first leg is scheduled for 17-19 October, with the return match the following weekend.

The race for African club football’s most prestigious crown has officially kicked off following the draw for the Preliminary and Second Preliminary Rounds of the TotalEnergies CAF Champions League 2025/26, held at Azam Media Studios in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania on Saturday.

A record 62 clubs from across the continent will feature in this season’s campaign, underscoring the competition’s growing appeal.

Record title winners Al Ahly of Egypt and South Africa’s Mamelodi Sundowns, both top-ranked sides, have been handed byes into the Second Preliminary Round where defending champions Pyramids FC of Egypt will face Rwanda’s APR.

The draw also delivered several tantalising fixtures in the early stages.

Almost time for the #TotalEnergiesCAFCC second preliminary round qualifiers, be ready! pic.twitter.com/5wygilXcO0

— TotalEnergies CAFCL & CAFCC 🏆 (@CAFCLCC) September 30, 2025

North African powerhouses could collide early as Sierra Leone’s East End Lions will face Tunisia’s US Monastirienne, with the winners earning a shot at the winners of the clash between Ghana’s Bibiani Gold Stars and Algerian giants JS Kabylie.

Liberia’s FC Fassell will look to overcome Senegal’s ASC Jaraaf for a potential meeting with Algeria’s MC Alger, while Benin’s Dadjè FC and Libya’s representative, Libya 1, clash for the chance to face Togo’s ASCK or Morocco’s RS Berkane.

Elsewhere, Nigeria’s Remo Stars meet Comoros’ US Zilimadjou for the right to play Sundowns, while Zimbabwe’s Simba Bhora tackle Eswatini’s Nsingizini Hotspurs in a tie that leads to a showdown with Botswana’s Gaborone United — and ultimately Tanzania’s Simba SC in the next round.

Zambia’s Power Dynamos begin against Ivorian heavyweights ASEC Mimosas with the winner of the match between Namibia’s African Stars and Vipers FC of Uganda waiting in the wings.

Rahimo FC of Burkina Faso will face Gabon’s AS Mangasport with the winners taking on the victor in Niger’s Forces Armées meeting Tunisian giants Espérance Sportive de Tunis (EST).

Has your team made it past the #TotalEnergiesCAFCL first preliminary round qualifiers?

Join us for round two! 🤩 pic.twitter.com/QZk7Nxj5gK

— TotalEnergies CAFCL & CAFCC 🏆 (@CAFCLCC) September 30, 2025

Teams that exit in the first two rounds will this season receive USD 100 000 to cover their logistical costs as CAF seeks to encourage more clubs to take part, which is reflected in the record number of teams registered for the 2025/26 season.

The Preliminary Round kicks off with first-leg matches between 19–21 September 2025 and second-leg matches between 26–28 September 2025. The Second Preliminary Round follows from 17–19 October (first leg) and 24–26 October (second leg).

The Group Stage begins on 21 November 2025, with the knockout phase set to start on 13 March 2026.

Ivory Coast club ASEC Mimosas became the first high-profile casualties of 2025-26 CAF Champions League qualifying on Sunday after losing a penalty shootout against Zambian visitors Power Dynamos.

Souleymane Fofana scored after 52 minutes to give former African champions ASEC a 1-0 win in the first round second leg in the Ivorian commercial capital Abidjan despite having Seydou Sacko sent off.

The narrow victory levelled the aggregate score at 1-1 after Power Dynamos had won the first leg last weekend through a solitary goal from Innocent Kashita.

While the Zambians converted five consecutive penalties in the shootout, Benin international midfielder Romaric Amoussou missed the fifth ASEC spot-kick and his club were eliminated.

The other Ivorian challengers, Stade Abidjan, did secure a place in the final qualifying round during October thanks to a 5-1 aggregate victory over Cote d'Or of the Seychelles.

Power Dynamos, who have never reached the group stage of the premier African club competition, will face Vipers of Uganda in the second round.

Vipers, who also have never made it to the 16-club group phase, won 1-0 both at home and away against African Stars of Namibia with Junior Sentamu the second-leg match-winner in Uganda.

While ASEC fell, the other six former champions in action, including Stade Abidjan, comfortably survived the first hurdle.

Orlando Pirates of South Africa and JS Kabylie of Algeria had the widest winning margins, scoring seven goals each without reply over two legs against Lioli of Lesotho and Bibiani Gold Stars of Ghana, respectively.

NIGERIAN VICTORIES

Esperance of Tunisia were 7-1 overall victors against AS FAN of Niger, while there were three-goal winning margins for FAR Rabat of Morocco over Real Banjul of Gambia and Mouloudia Alger of Algeria against Fassell of Liberia.

Surprise 2024-25 champions Pyramids of Egypt will only start their title defence on Wednesday against APR in Rwanda due to Fifa Africa-Asia-Pacific Cup commitments.

Record 12-time Champions League winners Al Ahly of Egypt and 2016 title-holders Mamelodi Sundowns of South Africa had first round byes.

The nine former champions have avoided each other in the final qualifying round line-up, creating the possibility that they could all be involved in the group phase from November 21.

Only one club from African football powerhouse Nigeria has won the competition, with Enyimba achieving back-to-back successes in 2003 and 2004.

Nigerian challengers Remo Stars and Rivers United both made it the final qualifying round this season after contrasting victories.

Stars followed up a four-goal first-leg win over Zilimadjou of the Comoros by winning the return match 1-0 through an Alex Oyowah goal after 74 minutes.

After a goalless first leg against Aigles in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Rivers won 1-0 at home and on aggregate thanks to Stephen Manyo, who netted six minutes into first-half added time.

Soweto giants Kaizer Chiefs and Orlando Pirates are back in continental club competition action on Saturday, seeing to take a step closer to reaching the group phase of their respective competitions.

Pirates should have little concern as they host Lioli from neighbouring Lesotho at the Orlando Stadium, already 3-0 up from the first leg, but for Chiefs there will be plenty of nerves as they look to fight their way back from their 1-0 loss to Kabuscorp in Angola last weekend.

With the away goals rule still in effect in Confederation of African Football competition, Chiefs cannot afford to concede either, otherwise they will make their task even harder.

The arrival of Khanyisa Mayo on loan from Algeria suggests they could be sharper upfront, and he scored on debut in the Betway Premiership against Marumo Gallants in midweek, but Chiefs conceded after that and were held to a home draw.

Their bright start to the league season has quickly faded and the departure of coach Nasreddine Nabi, who never looked up to the gravity of the task even if he did end the club’s long trophy drought, has exposed turmoil in rhe camp.

Kabuscorp are not one of their country’s top clubs, and are competing in continental competition for only a second time, but teams from Angola are never easy to beat.

It will be the 35th meeting between clubs from Angola and South Africa in African club competition with South African teams holding a narrow winning record of 14 victories to 12 with eight draws.

Pirates struggled initially in last Saturday’s first leg against Lioli, who had to take to their ‘home’ tie to the Free State Stadium in Bloemfontein because of the absence of any suitable facilities in the mountain kingdom.

It took until eight minutes into the second half for Pirates to break the deadlock through Tshegofatso Mabasa, who then quickly scored another before Oswin Appollis added a third in the last minute of the three added on for stoppage time.

The comfortable lead offers the opportunity for Pirates coach Abdeslam Ouaddou to field some of his fringe players in the second leg and rest the regulars.

The Buccaneers are expected to glide through comfortably to the second round but will have to wait to find out the identity of their opponents.

They take on either St Eloi Lupopo of the Democratic Republic of Congo or Al Merrikh from Sudan but because the identity of the Congolese representatives was decided late, that tie was postponed. Ther first leg is now being played in Lubumbashi on Saturday with the return in Benghazi, Libya one week later on October 4.

The 2025/26 TotalEnergies CAF Champions League began this week with clubs across the continent taking their first steps in the Preliminary Round. From commanding away victories to tightly fought encounters, the opening leg produced drama and set the stage for decisive return fixtures next weekend

CAFOnline takes a look at some of the outcomes of the first legs of the Preliminary Stage.

Côte d’Or 0–2 Stade d’Abidjan

In Seychelles, Stade d’Abidjan laid down a marker with a clinical 2–0 away victory over Côte d’Or. The Ivorian side’s composed performance leaves them well-placed ahead of the second leg at home.

Dadjè FC 0–0 Al Ahly Tripoli

Benin’s Dadjè FC held Libyan giants Al Ahly Tripoli to a goalless draw in a match where chances were scarce. With nothing separating the two, the tie is finely balanced going into the return leg in Tripoli.

Wiliete SC 0–3 Young Africans

Tanzanian champions Young Africans showed their pedigree on Angolan soil, dispatching Wiliete SC 3–0. Goals from Aziz Andabwile, Edmund Godfrey, and Prince Dube underlined their attacking strength, giving the Tanzanian giants a commanding lead before hosting the return fixture in Dar es Salaam next weekend.

Ethiopian Insurance 2–0 Mlandege FC

In Addis Ababa, Ethiopian Insurance made home advantage count with a 2–0 win over Zanzibar’s Mlandege. The Ethiopians will travel with confidence as they look to finish the job next weekend.

Mogadishu City Club 1–3 Police FC

Visitors Police FC earned a crucial 3–1 away victory against Mogadishu City, putting themselves in pole position to reach the next round. The Somali side now faces an uphill battle to overturn the deficit.

Power Dynamos 1–0 ASEC Mimosas

In one of the week’s headline fixtures, Zambian side Power Dynamos edged ASEC Mimosas 1–0 in Ndola. Innocent Kashita struck early, and the hosts held firm against the Ivorian giants to claim a narrow but valuable first-leg advantage.

Cercle de Joachim 0–3 Petro de Luanda

Angola’s Petro de Luanda demonstrated their experience on the continental stage with a 3–0 away win over Cercle de Joachim in Mauritius. The result leaves them with one foot in the Second Preliminary Round.

Ethiopian Medhin 2–0 Mlandege FC

Also in Addis Ababa, Ethiopian Medhin secured a vital home victory with a 2–0 win over Mlandege FC. The Ethiopian side capitalised on their dominance, striking twice to put themselves in a strong position ahead of the return leg. The visitors from Zanzibar will now need to produce a big response on home soil to keep their continental hopes alive.

Lioli FC 0–3 Orlando Pirates

Elsewhere, South Africa’s Orlando Pirates showed their pedigree with a commanding 3–0 away triumph against Lioli FC of Lesotho. A brace from Tshegofatso Mabasa and a late strike by Oswin Appolis ensured the former African champions head back to Johannesburg with one foot firmly in the next round.

Second Preliminary Round

The return legs are scheduled for 26–28 September 2025, where aggregate winners will advance to the Second Preliminary Round. With a place in the group stages ultimately at stake, clubs will be looking to either protect their leads or mount spirited comebacks in front of their home fans.

© CAF

Soweto giants Kazier Chiefs and Orlando Pirates both compete in continental competition ties this weekend, beginning their respective bids for a berth in the group stages of Africa’s two club competitions.

Pirates compete in the African Champions League for a third successive season, having failed to get into the group stage in 2023-24 but last season going all the way to the semifinals.

Chiefs have qualified for the Confederation Cup, returning to African competition after a four-season absence since the 2020-21 season when they were surprise Champions League runners-up.

Pirates have drawn Basotho club Lioli in the first round and play the first leg of their first round tie in Bloemfontein on Saturday.

Lesotho do not have any stadia which meet the Confederation of African Football’s standards for international competition, so Lioli are hosting Pirates at the Free State Stadium, just as their national team did against South Africa earlier this month.

The clash is on Saturday with a 3pm kick off and the return leg will be at the Orlando Stadium exactly one week later.

Not unexpectedly, South African clubs have a one-sided record against Basotho opposition in African club competition, stretching back over 30 years.

In 20 past matches, there have been 15 wins for South African sides, three draws and two successes for Lesotho teams, both on home soil.

No South African outfit has ever been eliminated on aggregate by a Basotho club, with all 10 previous match-ups coming in the two-legged knockout stages.

Pirates have had four previous outings against Basotho clubs, starting with Roma Rovers in 1997 when they won by a single goal on aggregate and went on to participate in the first ever Champions League group phase.

In 2004 they had a much more convincing 7-0 aggregate triumph over Matlama.

Chiefs are heading to Angola to take on Kabuscorp in their Confederation Cup first round, first leg tie.

That clash on Saturday is at Luanda’s Estadio Novembro 11 with the return leg at Soccer City on 27 September.

Pirates’ second round opponent, should they avoid any upset against Lioli, will be either St Eloi Lupopo from the Democratic Republic of Congo or Al Merrikh of Sudan.

If Chiefs go through to the second round they take on either Djabal of the Comoros Islands or Simba from Kolwezi, who were surprise cup winners in DR Congo last season.

After two rounds of preliminaries, the 16 teams from the group phase of both competitions will be known with matches scheduled to kick off in November.

Spanish coach Jose Riveiro has laid down the law to the stars of African giants Al Ahly of Egypt as they prepare for another CAF Champions League campaign.

Cairo-based Ahly have won the elite African club competition a record 12 times – seven times more than closest rivals Zamalek of Egypt and TP Mazembe from the Democratic Republic of Congo.

But last season they fell in the semifinals to Mamelodi Sundowns of South Africa, losing the tie on away goals after Yasser Ibrahim conceded an own goal in the final minute of regular time.

Defeat was particularly painful for the Cairo Red Devils as it was the fourth time they had won back-to-back titles only to fail to create history by lifting the trophy three consecutive times.

After three seasons and five trophies with Orlando Pirates in South Africa, Riveiro moved to Ahly last May and has yet to celebrate a victory.

Ahly drew with Inter Miami and Porto, who they led four times, at the Club World Cup in the United States and lost to Brazilian outfit Palmeiras.

If the 49-year-old Spaniard believed the Egypt Premier League kick-off last weekend would bring a chance of fortunes, he was mistaken.

Away to Modern Future, who finished 14th last season, Ahly had to come from behind to secure a 2-2 draw thanks to a Yassin Marei goal.

"There is no place for names, and no room for favouritism," said a visibly angry Riveiro after that match.

"Whoever proves himself in training and in matches will get chances – whoever disobeys instructions will have no role in the team."

NO FUTURE

Queried by reporters about his line-up, Riveiro said: "I am the coach and I decide who participates and who does not".

Riveiro stressed to his squad the need for full commitment to his tactics, warning those who failed to follow them would have no future at Ahly.

He echoed the comments of the last two Ahly coaches, South African Pitso Mosimane and Swiss Marcel Koller, that Ahly want to win every competition they are involved in.

But Riveiro knows winning the Champions League is of paramount importance for several reasons, including qualification for the 2029 Club World Cup.

 

The #TotalEnergiesCAFCL 2025/26 preliminary rounds draw is here! ✅

Which game are you excited for the most? 👀 pic.twitter.com/D49BWewXJu

— TotalEnergies CAFCL & CAFCC 🏆 (@CAFCLCC) August 10, 2025

 

They have a first round bye in qualifying and will tackle the winners between Aigle Noir of Burundi and ASAS of Djibouti for a place in the group phase.

The Club World Cup this year gave Ahly and the other three African representatives, Mamelodi Sundowns of South Africa, Esperance of Tunisia and Wydad Casblanca of Morocco, unrivalled riches.

Each club received $9.5 million for qualifying plus an additional $2 million for a win and $1 million for a draw. Sundowns did best, taking home $12.5 million.

Wydad will not be involved in the coming Champions League as they finished third in the Moroccan league, leaving champions Renaissance Berkane and runners-up FAR Rabat to represent the kingdom.

FAR and the other seven quarterfinalists last season, including eventual champions Pyramids of Egypt will be back, and the field includes 10 former champions and six winners of other CAF competitions.

Pyramids will face Rwandan army outfit APR for the third straight season in qualifying and will be expected to complete a hat-trick of aggregate victories.

Should the defending champions advance, they will face Insurance of Ethiopia or Mlandege of Zanzibar for a group place.

Mamelodi Sundowns and Stellenbosch were handed byes into the second round of the this new season’s African Champions League and African Confederation Cup respectively, but South Africa’s other representatives in continental club competition must play in next month’s first round.

Orlando Pirates, who were Champions League semifinalists last season, were drawn on Saturday in the first round against Lioli from Lesotho while Chiefs, who compete in the Confederation Cup after winning last season’s Nedbank cup, have a tough assignment against Kabuscorp from Angola.

The draw was conducted in Dar-es-Salaam, Tanzania.

Pirates will be away in the first leg on the weekend of 17-19 September but with all the stadia in Lesotho declared not up to the required standard by the Confederation of African Football, they can expect to play the game in South Africa, likely in Bloemfontein.

The return leg at the Orlando Stadium in Soweto will be on the weekend of 26-28 September.

#𝐂𝐀𝐅𝐂𝐋 𝐏𝐫𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐫𝐲 𝐑𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝 𝐎𝐩𝐩𝐨𝐧𝐞𝐧𝐭

Orlando Pirates 🇿🇦 v Lioli FC 🇱🇸
📅 Match Details: TBC

⚫⚪🔴⭐#OrlandoPirates #OnceAlways pic.twitter.com/cxop84L4Qm

— Orlando Pirates (@orlandopirates) August 9, 2025

If Pirates advance as expected, their second-round opponent will be either El Merrikh of Sudan or a club from the Democratic Republic of Congo, who have a dispute over the completion of their league season and are still waiting to settle on who their representatives in the 2025-26 African club competitions will be.

The second round ties are to be played the weekend of 17-19 October with the return legs a week later from 24-26 October.

Chiefs travel to Angola for their first leg of their first round tie and if they advance will take on Djabal or a club from DR Congo, still to be determined, in the second round.

CAF Confederation Cup

Kaizer Chiefs were amongst the seeded teams in the draw for the 1st preliminary round of the 2025/26 TotalEnergies CAF Confederation Cup, and will start their campaign with a trip to Luanda, Angola, to face Kabuscorp Sport Clube do Palanca#Amakhosi4Life pic.twitter.com/RLPrhgI5Hw

— Kaizer Chiefs (@KaizerChiefs) August 9, 2025

The 16 winners of second round matches move onto the group stage, which kicks off on 21 November.

Sundowns, who lost to Pyramids of Egypt in last season’s Champions League final will take on the winner of the first round tie between Nigeria’s Remo Stars or US Zilimanjou from the Comoros Islands.

Stellenbosch, who reached last season’s Confederation Cup semifinal, have to await the winner of the first round clash between Foresters FC from Seychelles and Atlético 15 from Equatorial Guinea.

CAF said there were a record-breaking 120 entries for both competitions for the 2025-26 editions.

A total of 62 teams will compete in the Champions League, while 58 will take part in the Confederation Cup – the largest combined entry ever seen in CAF’s interclub competitions.

CAF President Patrice Motsepe has announced a significant improvement in the financial support from US$50 000 to US$100 000 (around R1.8-million) to each club participating.