The CAF Champions League 2026-2027 group stage will be missing several of African football’s most decorated clubs after Mamelodi Sundowns, TP Mazembe and Al Ahly all failed to secure qualification.

Sundowns’ elimination is the biggest surprise. The reigning champions had appeared in the previous 11 group stages but were knocked out by Wiliete SC, an Angolan club founded in 2018 that will reach this stage of the competition for the first time.

The South African side drew 0-0 away from home before taking the lead in the second leg in Pretoria. Mabululu equalised for Wiliete to make it 1-1, a result that sent the Angolan side through on away goals.

Wiliete’s historic progress came at the expense of a team that had been expected to defend its title. The result also underlined the risks facing highly rated clubs in two-legged preliminary ties, where one difficult match can overturn expectations even when the decisive fixture is played at home.

Al Ahly’s absence has a different explanation. The Egyptian club, the competition’s record winners with 12 titles, failed to finish in a qualifying position in their domestic league. They will instead compete in the CAF Confederation Cup this season.

TP Mazembe were eliminated on the pitch by Club Africain, who won 2-1 on aggregate to return to the group stage. Morocco will also have no representative among the 16 group-stage teams after Wydad Casablanca, Raja Casablanca and AS FAR were all knocked out.

AS FAR reached the final of the previous edition but will now play in the CAF Confederation Cup.

Other established clubs only survived after difficult ties. Esperance de Tunis recovered from a first-leg deficit against Swehly SC before advancing on penalties. MC Alger overturned a 2-0 first-leg loss to Rangers International by scoring three times in the second half.

Those comebacks secured the progress of Esperance de Tunis and MC Alger, but also demonstrated how little margin for error there is in the preliminary rounds. A poor opening result can place an entire campaign in danger, even for the most experienced sides.

The departures of Sundowns, TP Mazembe and Al Ahly do not signal the end of the leading clubs’ influence in African football. Pyramids FC, Zamalek, Esperance de Tunis and RS Berkane remain among the serious contenders for the title.

However, the early exits have created an opportunity for teams less accustomed to competing at the top of the continental game. Wiliete SC must now follow its landmark result against more experienced opposition.

The balance of power in African football is unlikely to change after one edition, but this season’s qualifying rounds have reinforced one clear lesson: reputation can raise expectations, but only results guarantee progress.