The 2025–26 CAF Champions League qualifying rounds began on 16 September and ended on 1 November 2025. 62 teams competed in these rounds to decide the 16 places in the group stage of the 2025–26 CAF Champions League.
All times are local.
Draw
The draw for the qualifying rounds was held on 9 August 2025, 10:00 GMT (13:00 local time, UTC+3), in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.
With 62 clubs registered to take part in the qualifying rounds, two clubs have received byes to the second round. The remaining sides have been placed in pots depending on their CAF 5-year ranking and were drawn taking into account several factors, including geographical location.
Entry roundSecond round(2 teams)First round(60 teams)Teams Al Ahly Mamelodi Sundowns Pot 1(8 teams)Pot 2(14 teams) Aigle Noir ASAS Djibouti Télécom Ethiopian Insurance Kenya Police APR Mogadishu City Jamus Mlandege Al Ahli Tripoli Al Hilal Benghazi Dadjè Rahimo Colombe Sportive AS Tempête Fundación Bata Mangasport Real de Banjul Bibiani Gold Stars Fassell AS FAN East End Lions ASC KaraPot 3(16 teams)Pot 4(4 teams) Saint-Éloi Lupopo Wiliete Gaborone United US Zilimadjou AC Léopards Aigles du Congo Nsingizini Hotspurs Lioli Elgeco Plus Silver Strikers Cercle de Joachim African Stars Remo Stars Côte d'Or Power Dynamos Simba Bhora Horoya FC Nouadhibou ASC Jaraaf US Monastir Pot 5(4 teams)Pot 6(2 teams) AS FAR MC Alger JS Kabylie Stade Malien Al Merrikh Stade d'Abidjan Vipers Black Bulls Pot 7(4 teams)Highest ranked teams(8 teams) ASEC Mimosas Orlando Pirates Petro de Luanda Rivers United Espérance de Tunis RS Berkane Simba Pyramids Al Hilal Young Africans
Format
In the qualifying rounds, each tie was played on a home-and-away two-legged basis. If the aggregate score was tied after the second leg, the away goals rule was applied, and if still tied, extra time was not played, and a penalty shoot-out was used to determine the winner (Regulations III. 13 & 14).
Schedule The schedule of the competition was as follows.
+Schedule for the 2025–26 CAF Champions League qualifying roundsRoundDraw dateFirst legSecond legFirst round9 August 202519–21 September 202526–28 September 2025Second round17–19 October 202524–26 October 2025
Bracket The bracket of the draw was announced by the CAF on 9 August 2025.
The 16 winners of the second round advanced to the group stage.
First round The first round, also called the first preliminary round, included the 60 teams that did not receive byes to the second round.
1–1 on aggregate. Aigle Noir won on away goals.
Ethiopian Insurance won 4–3 on aggregate.
Pyramids won 5–0 on aggregate.
3–3 on aggregate. Kenya Police won on away goals.
Al Hilal won 1–0 on aggregate.
0–0 on aggregate. Rahimo won 4–2 on penalties.
Espérance de Tunis won 7–1 on aggregate.
Al Ahli Tripoli won 1–0 on aggregate.
RS Berkane won 4–2 on aggregate.
US Monastir won 7–1 on aggregate.
JS Kabylie won 7–0 on aggregate.
FC Nouadhibou won 2–0 on aggregate.
Stade Malien won 7–0 on aggregate.
Horoya won 2–1 on aggregate.
AS FAR won 4–1 on aggregate.
Colombe Sportive won 1–0 on aggregate.
MC Alger won 3–0 on aggregate.
Remo Stars won 5–0 on aggregate.
1–1 on aggregate. Nsingizini Hotspurs won 4–2 on penalties.
Simba won 2–1 on aggregate.
1–1 on aggregate. Silver Strikers won on away goals.
Young Africans won 5–0 on aggregate.
Stade d'Abidjan won 5–1 on aggregate.
Petro de Luanda won 6–0 on aggregate.
0–0 on aggregate. Black Bulls won 5–4 on penalties.
Rivers United won 1–0 on aggregate.
Vipers won 2–0 on aggregate.
1–1 on aggregate. Power Dynamos won 5–4 on penalties.
Saint-Éloi Lupopo won 1–0 on aggregate.
Orlando Pirates won 7–0 on aggregate.
Second round The second round, also called the second preliminary round, included 32 teams: the 2 teams that received byes to this round, and the 30 winners of the first round.
Al Ahly won 2–0 on aggregate.
Pyramids won 3–1 on aggregate.
Al Hilal won 4–1 on aggregate.
Espérance de Tunis won 4–0 on aggregate.
RS Berkane won 3–2 on aggregate.
JS Kabylie won 5–1 on aggregate.
Stade Malien won 3–1 on aggregate.
AS FAR won 4–1 on aggregate.
1–1 on aggregate. MC Alger won on away goals.
Mamelodi Sundowns won 7–1 on aggregate.
Simba won 3–0 on aggregate.
Young Africans won 2–1 on aggregate.
Petro de Luanda won 4–0 on aggregate.
Rivers United won 3–2 on aggregate.
Power Dynamos won 3–2 on aggregate.
3–3 on aggregate. Saint-Éloi Lupopo won 5–4 on penalties.
See also 2025–26 CAF Confederation Cup qualifying rounds
Notes
References
External links TotalEnergies CAF Champions League, CAFonline.com