The group stage draw for the 2026/27 CAF Champions League and Confederation Cup was held in Cairo on Wednesday, with special guests Oussama Darragi (Tunisia) and Achille Emana (Cameroon).

In the Champions League, title favourites Esperance de Tunis were pooled with Petro Atletico, FC Nouadhibou and Wiliete SC in Group A. The Blood and Gold, four-time winners and five-time runners-up, will be pleased to have avoided fellow North African heavyweights. Their opponents do include Angolan upstarts Wiliete, who knocked out reigning African champions Mamelodi Sundowns last weekend.

Group B sees Tanzania’s Young Africans as the odd one out among three North African former winners: Zamalek, MC Alger and Club Africain. Yanga’s arch rivals Simba are in Group C alongside RS Berkane, Orlando Pirates and Colombe Sportive. Group D is headlined by 2024/25 winners Pyramids, who start as favourites ahead of Al Hilal, Horoya and Maghreb Fez.

In the Confederation Cup, Group A pairs Al Ahly with Raja Casablanca, ASKO Kara and Primeiro Agosto. Group C has one slot still to be decided between CR Belouizdad, AS Douanes and Hafia.

Champions League Matchday 1 will be held in the final week of November, with Matchdays 2 to 6 on the weekends of 4-6 December, 18-20 December, 8-10 January, 15-17 January and 22-24 January. Both competitions run from late November to the end of January, and the top two teams in each group advance to the quarter-finals in February.

Group A: Esperance (Tunisia), Petro Atletico (Angola), FC Nouadhibou (Mauritania), Wiliete (Angola)

Group B: Zamalek (Egypt), Young Africans (Tanzania), MC Alger (Algeria), Club Africain (Tunisia)

Group C: RS Berkane (Morocco), Simba (Tanzania), Orlando Pirates (South Africa), Colombe Sportive (Cameroon)

Group D: Pyramids (Egypt), Al Hilal (Sudan), Horoya (Guinea), Maghreb Fez (Morocco)

African Confederation Cup group phase draw:

Group A: Al Ahly (Egypt), Raja Casablanca (Morocco), ASKO Kara (Togo), Primeiro Agosto (Angola)

Group B: Royal Armed Forces (Morocco), Azam (Tanzania), Al Ahly Tripoli (Libya), Durban City (South Africa)

Group C: CR Belouizdad (Algeria) or AS Douanes (Mauritania) or Hafia (Guinea), Maniema Union (DR Congo), Singida Black Stars (Tanzania), Red Arrows (Zambia)

Group D: USM Alger (Algeria), CS Sfaxien (Tunisia), Black Bulls (Mozambique), Real Bamako (Mali)