CAF Champions League 2026/27: Groups, Dates and Orlando Pirates’ Fixtures
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CAF Champions League 2026/27 Groups
CAF held the draw in Cairo on Wednesday, 28 October 2026. Sixteen clubs were split into four groups of four. Each club plays the other three home and away, so every team has six matches.
| Group A | Group B | Group C | Group D |
|---|---|---|---|
| Esperance (Tunisia) | Zamalek (Egypt) | RS Berkane (Morocco) | Pyramids (Egypt) |
| Petro Atletico (Angola) | Young Africans (Tanzania) | Simba SC (Tanzania) | Al Hilal Omdurman (Sudan) |
| FC Nouadhibou (Mauritania) | MC Alger (Algeria) | Orlando Pirates (South Africa) | Horoya (Guinea) |
| Wiliete (Angola) | Club Africain (Tunisia) | Colombe Sportive (Cameroon) | MAS de Fes (Morocco) |
Group B puts Zamalek, Young Africans and MC Alger together, and beIN Sports calls it one of the toughest groups. Group A has an all-Angolan meeting between Petro Atletico and Wiliete, the side that knocked out the champions.
Orlando Pirates’ Group C Fixtures
Pirates play three of their six games at home, and each away trip is a long one: East Africa, Central Africa and North Africa. The order below is from AfricaSoccer and Soccer Bullet, which reported it after the draw. On 31 October 2026 we could find CAF’s matchday weekends, but no exact days, kick-off times or stadiums.
| Matchday | Weekend | Pirates’ game | Where |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 27 to 29 November 2026 | Simba SC v Orlando Pirates | Away, Tanzania |
| 2 | 4 to 6 December 2026 | Orlando Pirates v RS Berkane | Home |
| 3 | 18 to 20 December 2026 | Colombe Sportive v Orlando Pirates | Away, Cameroon |
| 4 | 8 to 10 January 2027 | Orlando Pirates v Colombe Sportive | Home |
| 5 | 15 to 17 January 2027 | Orlando Pirates v Simba SC | Home |
| 6 | 22 to 24 January 2027 | RS Berkane v Orlando Pirates | Away, Morocco |
January is the key month. Pirates have back-to-back home games, then finish away to Berkane, the top-pot team in the group.
How Pirates Match Up Against Group C
Pirates reached the group stage by beating African Stars of Namibia 1-0 away and 4-0 at home, 5-0 on aggregate, with the second leg on 23 October 2026. This is a return to the groups: they went out in the second preliminary round in 2025/26, after reaching the semi-finals in 2024/25.
| Opponent | Record with South African clubs | What to know |
|---|---|---|
| RS Berkane | Unbeaten in five games against SA clubs, with 3 wins and 2 draws | Three-time Confederation Cup winners. They beat Pirates on penalties in the 2022 Confederation Cup final, 5-4 after a 1-1 draw |
| Simba SC | Have never won or scored in South Africa, but have conceded nothing at home in four games against SA clubs | Coached by South African Steve Barker. Pirates knocked them out of the 2022 Confederation Cup: each side won 1-0 at home and Pirates won 4-3 on penalties |
| Colombe Sportive | None | Pirates have never played them, and Colombe have never faced a South African club |
The Simba games have the strongest local story. Barker left Stellenbosch FC in December 2025 to join the Tanzanian club, and his squad includes three players known in the PSL: Rushine de Reuck, Neo Maema and Keletso Makgalwa. CAF itself picked out Simba v Pirates as one of the most awaited games of the group.
Barker is not the only South African coach in the group stage. Rulani Mokwena, the former Sundowns coach, took over at Pyramids of Egypt in July 2026 and leads them in Group D.
All the Key Dates
These dates are from the calendar CAF published on 2 July 2026. The Confederation Cup uses the same dates.
| Stage | Dates |
|---|---|
| Group stage, matchday 1 | 27 to 29 November 2026 |
| Group stage, matchday 2 | 4 to 6 December 2026 |
| Group stage, matchday 3 | 18 to 20 December 2026 |
| Group stage, matchday 4 | 8 to 10 January 2027 |
| Group stage, matchday 5 | 15 to 17 January 2027 |
| Group stage, matchday 6 | 22 to 24 January 2027 |
| Quarter-finals, first leg | 26 to 28 February 2027 |
| Quarter-finals, second leg | 5 to 7 March 2027 |
| Semi-finals, first leg | 9 to 11 April 2027 |
| Semi-finals, second leg | 16 to 18 April 2027 |
| Final | May 2027 (CAF’s calendar gives 9 to 31 May; exact date not confirmed) |
Pirates have a full diary around these dates. If they win their Carling Knockout quarter-final, the semi-finals are on 21 and 22 November 2026, days before the trip to Tanzania, and the final is on 12 December 2026, between matchdays 2 and 3.
Why Sundowns and Chiefs Are Out
Mamelodi Sundowns won the 2025/26 title, beating AS FAR of Morocco 2-1 on aggregate. They started this defence in the second preliminary round and lasted one tie. After 0-0 in Lubango, Wiliete of Angola drew 1-1 at Loftus Versfeld on 23 October 2026 and went through on away goals, so the champions will not be in the group stage.
Sundowns still have a continental final to play. As Champions League winners they host USM Alger, the Confederation Cup winners, in the CAF Super Cup at Loftus Versfeld on Sunday, 8 November 2026.
Kaizer Chiefs went out of the Confederation Cup on the same night. They beat Red Arrows of Zambia 1-0 at Moses Mabhida Stadium, but that made it 1-1 on aggregate and Red Arrows won the shoot-out 3-2.
Durban City in the Confederation Cup
South Africa’s other club in Africa this season is Durban City, in the second-tier CAF Confederation Cup. It is their first continental campaign. Coach Eric Tinkler’s side reached the group stage by beating AS Port Louis 2000 of Mauritius 3-1 and 3-0, a 6-1 aggregate win completed on 25 October 2026.
They came out of the lowest pot in the draw and landed in a hard group. CAF lists it as Group B, though some reports called it Group C.
| Confederation Cup group | Clubs |
|---|---|
| Group A | Al Ahly (Egypt), Raja Casablanca (Morocco), ASKO Kara (Togo), Primeiro Agosto (Angola) |
| Group B | AS FAR (Morocco), Azam (Tanzania), Al Ahli Tripoli (Libya), Durban City (South Africa) |
| Group C | Maniema Union (DR Congo), Singida Black Stars (Tanzania), Red Arrows (Zambia), plus one place still open when CAF published the draw |
| Group D | USM Alger (Algeria), CS Sfaxien (Tunisia), Black Bulls (Mozambique), Real Bamako (Mali) |
AS FAR lost the Champions League final to Sundowns last season, which shows the level Durban City now face. We could not confirm the order of Durban City’s games or their home stadium for the group stage on 31 October 2026.
Prize Money
CAF says the Champions League winners get a record USD 6 million, and clubs knocked out in the preliminary rounds get USD 100,000 towards travel and logistics. For 2025/26 CAF also set USD 4 million for the Confederation Cup winners. We did not find CAF’s amounts for each stage this season, so they are not listed here.
How to Watch in South Africa
We could not find a CAF announcement of the South African TV rights for 2026/27. In the last deal we could confirm, for 2024/25, CAF gave pay-TV rights to SuperSport and free-to-air rights to the SABC. Check the DStv and SABC guides in the week of each match, because a rights deal does not always mean a game is shown. Only follow matches on official channels.
CAF Champions League 2026/27 Questions
When does the CAF Champions League group stage start?
The first matches are on the weekend of 27 to 29 November 2026. The sixth and last round is on 22 to 24 January 2027.
Which group are Orlando Pirates in?
Pirates are in Group C with RS Berkane of Morocco, Simba SC of Tanzania and Colombe Sportive of Cameroon. The draw was made in Cairo on 28 October 2026.
Who do Orlando Pirates play first?
Reports of the draw say Pirates start away to Simba SC in Tanzania on the weekend of 27 to 29 November 2026, then host RS Berkane on the weekend of 4 to 6 December. CAF had not confirmed exact days and kick-off times on 31 October 2026.
Why are Mamelodi Sundowns not in the group stage?
Sundowns, the 2025/26 champions, lost to Wiliete of Angola in the second preliminary round. It finished 0-0 away and 1-1 at Loftus Versfeld on 23 October 2026, and Wiliete went through on away goals.
How many teams go through from each group?
Two. The winners and runners-up of each of the four groups reach the quarter-finals, which start on the weekend of 26 to 28 February 2027.
Is Durban City in the CAF Champions League?
No. Durban City are in the CAF Confederation Cup, in Group B with AS FAR, Azam and Al Ahli Tripoli. It is the club’s first time in African competition.
More: Orlando Pirates guide, Mamelodi Sundowns guide, Kaizer Chiefs guide, Carling Knockout 2026, PSL 2026/27 season guide
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