Al Ahly of Egypt and Raja Casablanca of Morocco have been drawn together in Group A of the 2026/27 CAF Confederation Cup, setting up a prominent North African contest in the competition’s group stage. The draw took place in Cairo on 28 October and was reported by the Confederation of African Football the following day.
The two clubs will be joined in Group A by ASKO Kara of Togo and Primeiro Agosto of Angola. Their meetings are among the most anticipated fixtures of the group stage, although all four clubs must compete for the two qualifying places available.
Group B contains AS FAR of Morocco, Azam FC of Tanzania, Al Ahly Tripoli of Libya and Durban City of South Africa. The group presents a demanding mix of opponents and travel requirements across North, East and Southern Africa.
Group C includes Maniema Union of the Democratic Republic of Congo, Singida Black Stars of Tanzania and Red Arrows of Zambia. The fourth place remained unresolved at the time of the draw, with CR Belouizdad, AS Douanes and Hafia involved in the outstanding qualification process.
Group D brings together USM Alger of Algeria, CS Sfaxien of Tunisia, Black Bulls of Mozambique and Real Bamako of Mali. The draw creates a series of fixtures involving clubs from established and developing football markets.
The group stage is scheduled to begin on 27–29 November 2026. Teams will play home and away against the other three clubs in their group, with the top two advancing to the quarter-finals. The schedule will test squad depth and travel planning as well as performance on the pitch.
Al Ahly and Raja Casablanca bring considerable continental experience and support. Their presence together will draw attention, but the outcome of the group cannot be predicted from reputation alone. Away results and consistency across six matches are likely to be decisive.
For clubs from smaller leagues, the group stage provides exposure to higher-profile opponents and a chance to demonstrate competitiveness. It can also create additional costs associated with international travel, match organisation and squad management.
The draw follows preliminary-round results that Towncrier Africa has already covered, including Red Arrows’ qualification. The editorial focus now shifts to the confirmed matchups and the competitive questions facing the clubs.
The Confederation Cup is distinct from the CAF Champions League, whose group-stage draw was covered separately. Supporters should also note that the final Group C entrant will only be confirmed once the outstanding qualification process is completed.
CAF: Official Confederation Cup group-stage draw
Discover more from Towncrier Africa
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
