CAF reveals dates for Champions League, Confederation Cup

Mamelodi Sundowns and Orlando Pirates will fly the South African flag in the CAF Champions League, while Kaizer Chiefs and Durban City are set to compete in the CAF Confederation Cup.

Sundowns head into the new continental season as defending African champions and will be aiming to make history by becoming the first South African club to win back-to-back Champions League titles.

Pirates, meanwhile, earned their place in Africa's premier club competition after winning the 2025/26 Betway Premiership, edging Sundowns in the race for the domestic title.

In the Confederation Cup, Chiefs return to continental action after finishing third in the league. The Soweto giants reached the group stages of the competition last season but failed to progress to the knockout rounds.

Durban City will make their debut in the Confederation Cup after securing qualification by winning the Nedbank Cup.

While CAF has yet to conduct the draws for the two competitions, Sundowns could be handed a bye in the opening round due to their status as the continent's top-ranked club. Chiefs may also avoid the first preliminary round of the Confederation Cup.

The opening-round fixtures in both competitions are scheduled to take place over the weekends of 4-6 September and 11-13 September.

The second round will then be played over the weekends of 16-18 October and 23-25 October, with all remaining teams entering the race for places in the group stages.

The confirmed schedule gives South Africa's continental hopefuls an early indication of how demanding their campaigns could become should they progress deep into CAF competition.