By Etienne Mainimo Mengnjo
Colombe Sportive of Cameroon will face Stade Malien FC of Mali in the first preliminary round of the 2026/27 TotalEnergies CAF Champions League, following the draw that took place in Cairo on August 6.
The Cameroon champions, who clinched the 2025/2026 Elite One title, will host the first leg before travelling to Mali for the return fixture. The victor over two legs will progress to the second preliminary round, where they are set to meet the winner of the tie between FC Canchungo of Guinea-Bissau and Teungueth FC of Senegal.
A total of 61 clubs have entered the competition. Mamelodi Sundowns of South Africa, Espérance Sportive de Tunis of Tunisia, and Morocco’s RS Berkane have received byes directly to the second preliminary round.
Sundowns, who defeated AS FAR 2-1 on aggregate to win their second continental title last season, will bid for consecutive crowns.
The first preliminary round first legs are scheduled for September 4-6, with return matches set for September 11-13. The second preliminary round first legs will take place October 16-18, with the return fixtures from October 23-25. The 16 winners will advance to the group stage, which begins in late November.
The overall champions will receive a record USD 6 million in prize money. Clubs eliminated in the preliminary rounds will each receive a USD 100,000 subvention from CAF to assist with travel and logistical costs.
