The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has officially released the schedule for the 2025/2026 club competitions
NEWSOTHER NEWSSPORT
8/1/20251 min read
The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has officially released the schedule for the 2025/2026 club competitions, which include the CAF Champions League and the CAF Confederation Cup. The new dates and format come after adjustments were made due to the scheduling of the African Nations Championship (CHAN) in August.
Preliminary Round Draw and Fixtures
The draw for the preliminary rounds of both the Champions League and Confederation Cup is set to take place in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, on August 12. This event will determine the initial matchups for clubs vying for a spot in the group stages.
The preliminary rounds will be played across two legs in September and October:
First Preliminary Round: The first leg will be played between September 19-21, 2025, with the return leg scheduled for September 26-28, 2025.
Second Preliminary Round: The first leg of this round will be held from October 17-19, 2025, with the second leg following on October 24-26, 2025.
Key Dates for the 2025/2026 Season
The rest of the season will proceed as follows:
Group Stage: The group phase will kick off in late November 2025 and run through February 2026.
Knockout Rounds: The quarter-finals are scheduled for March 2026, while the semi-finals will take place in April 2026.
Final: The finals for both the CAF Champions League and the CAF Confederation Cup are slated to be held between May 8 and May 24, 2026.
CAF also confirmed the player registration windows for participating clubs:
First Registration Period: August 1-31, 2025 (for the Preliminary Round 1)
Second Registration Period: September 1-30, 2025 (for the Preliminary Round 2)
Group Stage Registration: October 1-31, 2025
Final Registration Period: January 1-31, 2026 (for the remainder of the group stage and knockout rounds)
This detailed roadmap provides clarity for clubs across the continent as they prepare for the new season of Africa's most prestigious club competitions.