In this guide
Preliminary and group stages have different tasksFour clubs make six home-and-away matchesThe last eight return to tiesThe Confederation Cup is separateUseful stage identifiersRead the formal club identityThe CAF Champions League is Africa’s leading men’s club competition. Its 2026/27 group stage contains sixteen clubs divided into four groups of four, with the top two in each reaching the quarter-finals.
The group draw is not the start of every club’s participation. Two preliminary rounds precede it, and their two-leg ties establish which clubs reach the group field.
Preliminary and group stages have different tasks
A preliminary tie selects an advancing club through two fixtures. The group stage accumulates results across six matchdays. A club can therefore complete a preliminary second leg and later start a fresh group-points contest.
Four clubs make six home-and-away matches
A group member has three opponents. Meeting each at home and away gives six fixtures. The top two progress, so a runner-up position can be enough for the quarter-final route. A group winner has not yet won the continental title.
The last eight return to ties
CAF’s current programme identifies first and second legs for quarter-finals and semi-finals. Read the aggregate alongside the current match score in the return leg. The first-leg margin provides sporting context for late pressure and substitutions.
The Confederation Cup is separate
CAF also runs the Confederation Cup. Its group draw can share an event programme with the Champions League draw, but the clubs enter distinct fields and tables. A draw show covering both should retain both competition headings.
Useful stage identifiers
Preliminary Round Two, Group Stage Matchday 2 and quarter-final second leg describe three different tasks. The numeral alone does not make them equivalent.
| Programme detail | Why retain it |
|---|---|
| Competition name | Champions League versus Confederation Cup |
| Stage | Entry, points or elimination |
| Leg or matchday | Correct part of the tie or group |
| Season | Correct field and rules context |
Read the formal club identity
Some club names recur across African football in different countries. Keep the country or full club name where supplied, rather than merging participants from a shortened name alone. The competition’s actual draw provides the relevant field.