Nigeria will for the umpteenth time be missing in action when the group stage of the CAF Champions League gets underway in November.It is becoming a very sad commentary that Nigerian clubs cannot break into this elite group that is dubbed money spinning stage of the Champions League.
The 16 clubs for the 2026/2027 CAF Champions League group stage have been confirmed following the conclusion of the second preliminary round, with defending champions Mamelodi Sundowns among the notable casualties..
The qualification matches, which ended on Sunday, produced several surprises, while former continental champions Espérance, Zamalek SC, MC Alger and Pyramids FC secured their places in the next phase.
The group stage draw is scheduled to take place at the Egyptian Football Association headquarters in Cairo on Wednesday, October 28, 2026, at 3 p.m. local time (12 p.m. GMT).
The 16 qualified teams will be drawn into four groups of four, with the group stage expected to commence in November.
Angolan side Wiliete SC delivered one of the biggest surprises of the preliminary rounds by eliminating defending champions Mamelodi Sundowns of South Africa.
Wiliete secured a historic group stage berth after holding Sundowns to a 1-1 draw in Pretoria, progressing on away goals following a goalless first-leg encounter in Lubango.
The achievement represents a major milestone for the Angolan club, which was founded in 2018.
South Africa will, however, retain representation in the competition through Orlando Pirates, who cruised past Namibia’s African Stars 5-0 on aggregate after winning the return leg 4-0.
Egyptian clubs Zamalek SC and Pyramids FC secured qualification to ensure the North African country will have two representatives in the group stage.
Five-time African champions Zamalek defeated Rwanda’s APR FC, while Pyramids overcame South Sudan’s El Merriekh Bentiu to advance.
Tunisia’s Espérance also survived a difficult encounter against Libya’s Swehly SC. After overturning a 1-0 first-leg deficit, the four-time champions secured qualification with a 3-1 victory on penalties.
Algerian giants MC Alger produced another remarkable comeback, scoring three unanswered second-half goals to overturn a 2-0 first-leg defeat against Nigeria’s Rangers International.
Angola’s Petro Atlético also recovered from a two-goal deficit, defeating Zimbabwe’s Scottland FC 3-0 in Luanda to progress 3-2 on aggregate.
Morocco will have two representatives in the group stage following the qualification of RS Berkane and MAS de Fès.
Berkane recorded a comfortable 3-0 aggregate victory over Sierra Leone’s Star Sport Academy, while MAS de Fès secured a dramatic 2-1 victory over Côte d’Ivoire’s ASEC Mimosas to advance 3-2 on aggregate.
Tanzania will also be represented by two clubs, Simba SC and Young Africans, who recorded emphatic aggregate victories to secure their places.
Sudan’s Al Hilal Omdurman progressed after completing a 4-0 aggregate triumph over Ethiopia’s Sidama Bunna.
Meanwhile, Tunisia’s Club Africain marked their return to the group stage by eliminating five-time African champions TP Mazembe of the Democratic Republic of Congo. Club Africain won the return leg 1-0 to secure a 2-1 aggregate victory.
Cameroon’s Colombe Sportive also qualified after defeating Senegal’s Teungueth FC 3-0 on aggregate.
Mauritania’s FC Nouadhibou overturned a first-leg defeat against Côte d’Ivoire’s FC San Pedro to claim a 3-2 aggregate victory, reaching the group stage for the second time in the club’s history.
Guinea’s Horoya AC completed the line-up after eliminating Sudan’s Al Merrikh on penalties following a 1-1 aggregate draw.
Record $6 Million Prize Awaits Champions
Attention will now shift to Wednesday’s draw in Cairo, which will determine the composition of the four groups and the opponents each club must overcome to reach the knockout stage.
The top two teams in each group will advance to the quarter-finals.
The competition also offers a significant financial incentive, with the eventual winners of the 2026/2027 TotalEnergies CAF Champions League set to receive a reported record prize of $6 million.
Full List of Qualified Clubs
The 16 clubs that have secured their places in the group stage are:
1. Al Hilal Omdurman — Sudan
2. Club Africain — Tunisia
3. Colombe Sportive — Cameroon
4. Espérance — Tunisia
5. FC Nouadhibou — Mauritania
6. Horoya AC — Guinea
7. MAS de Fès — Morocco
8. MC Alger — Algeria
9. Orlando Pirates — South Africa
10. Petro Atlético — Angola
11. Pyramids FC — Egypt
12. RS Berkane — Morocco
13. Simba SC — Tanzania
14. Wiliete SC — Angola
15. Young Africans — Tanzania
16. Zamalek SC — Egypt
BSN Sports report that with the group stage draw approaching, the qualified clubs will discover their routes towards continental glory, as the battle for Africa’s most prestigious club football title intensifies.
