Road To Africa Confirmed! Sundowns, Pirates, Chiefs, And Durban City Discover Crucial Continental Dates

South African football heavyweights Mamelodi Sundowns, Orlando Pirates, Kaizer Chiefs, and historic debutants Durban City have discovered their roadmaps for the upcoming CAF Champions League and CAF Confederation Cup campaigns.

Defending continental champions Mamelodi Sundowns and newly crowned Betway Premiership kings Orlando Pirates will lead South Africa’s charge in the prestigious CAF Champions League.

While the Brazilians enter the tournament as reigning kings of the continent, the Buccaneers return to the elite stage after a phenomenal domestic campaign that saw them claim their first league title in 14 years. Pirates will look to banish the ghosts of last season, where they suffered a premature exit in the second preliminary round.

Meanwhile, Kaizer Chiefs and Durban City will fly the South African flag in the CAF Confederation Cup. Amakhosi secured their ticket to continental football after finishing third in the Betway Premiership. Durban City earned their historic maiden continental spot by winning the Nedbank Cup.

In a fascinating sub-plot, Durban City will be led into Africa by newly appointed head coach Khalil Ben Youssef. Ben Youssef masterminded Chiefs’ third-place finish last season alongside Cedric Kaze as co-coaches. He replaces Pitso Dladla at the Durban-based side. Despite making history by steering the club to the Nedbank Cup crown, Dladla abruptly departed to join Golden Arrows.

The financial stakes have never been higher in African club football. The eventual winners of the CAF Champions League will pocket a staggering $6 million (approximately R108 million), while the Confederation Cup champions will walk away with $4 million (approximately R72 million).

According to an official statement released by the continent’s governing body:

“The Confédération Africaine de Football (CAF) has announced the match calendar for the 2026/27 season of the TotalEnergies CAF Champions League and TotalEnergies CAF Confederation Cup.

“The 2026/27 season will kick off with the first preliminary round on 4–6 September 2026 (first leg), followed by the return legs from 11–13 September 2026.

“The second preliminary round is scheduled for 16–18 October 2026, with the decisive return fixtures taking place between 23–25 October 2026.

“Following the completion of the preliminary stages, the group phase of both competitions will begin at the end of November.”

Official TotalEnergies CAF Club Calendar: 2026/27 Season

First Preliminary Round (First Leg)

4–6 September 2026

The opening qualification round kicks off across the continent.

First Preliminary Round (Second Leg)

11–13 September 2026

Decisive return legs to determine who advances past the opening phase.

Second Preliminary Round (First Leg)

16–18 October 2026

Heavyweights enter the fray as the final qualification round begins.

Second Preliminary Round (Second Leg)

23–25 October 2026

The final grid is locked in for the lucrative group stages.

Group Stage: Matchdays 1–3

27 November – 20 December 2026

• Matchday 1: 27–29 November 2026
• Matchday 2: 4–6 December 2026
• Matchday 3: 18–20 December 2026

Group Stage: Matchdays 4–6

8–24 January 2027

• Matchday 4: 8–10 January 2027
• Matchday 5: 15–17 January 2027
• Matchday 6: 22–24 January 2027

Quarter-Finals

26 February – 7 March 2027

• First Leg: 26–28 February 2027
• Second Leg: 5–7 March 2027

Semi-Finals

9–18 April 2027

• First Leg: 9–11 April 2027
• Second Leg: 16–18 April 2027

Continental Finals

9–31 May 2027

The ultimate showpiece fixtures to crown the kings of African club football.

Tournament Prize Money Breakdown

CAF has maintained its highly lucrative financial structure for the 2026/27 campaign to incentivize top-tier performance on the continent.