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CAF Champions League: Remo Stars sketch UZ Zilimadjou, Gold Stars confront JS Kabylie

The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has gripped the sketch for the 2025/26 CAF Champions League, with a record 62 teams from across the continent discovering their opponents.

The ceremony took place on Saturday evening at Azam Media Studios in Dar es Salaam, featuring Tanzanian football legend Sunday Manara and CAF Lead of Competitions Khaled Nassar.

Reigning Nigerian champions Remo Stars will open their campaign against Comoros giants US Zilimadjou.

If they overcome the Comorian side in the First Preliminary Round, they will confront South African powerhouse Mamelodi Sundowns, who, along with record title holders Al Ahly of Egypt, received a bye to the next stage.

Rivers United will open their campaign against the eventual champions of the DR Congo league.

A victory in that fixture would set up a clash with either Congo’s AC Leopards or Mozambique’s Black Bulls in the next round.

Newly crowned Ghana Premier League champions Bibiani Gold Stars confront a daunting task in their CAF Champions League debut, as they take on Algerian powerhouse JS Kabylie in the preliminary round.

An early North African showdown could be on the cards, as Sierra Leone’s East Terminate Lions meet Tunisia’s US Monastirienne, with the winner advancing to confront either Ghana’s Bibiani Gold Stars or Algerian giants JS Kabylie.

Liberia’s FC Fassell will battle Senegal’s ASC Jaraaf for the chance to take on Algeria’s MC Alger, while Benin’s Dadje FC confront Libya’s representatives, Libya 1, with the winners earning a meeting with either Togo’s ASCK or Morocco’s RS Berkane.

Elsewhere, Zimbabwe’s Simba Bhora clash with Eswatini’s Nsingizini Hotspurs, with the victors set for a duel against Botswana’s Gaborone United and ultimately Tanzania’s Simba SC in the next stage.

Zambia’s Power Dynamos open against Ivorian heavyweights ASEC Mimosas, with the winner to confront either Namibia’s African Stars or Uganda’s Vipers FC.

In another fixture, Burkina Faso’s Rahimo FC take on Gabon’s AS Mangasport, with the winners progressing to meet either Niger’s Forces Armees or Tunisian giants Espérance Sportive de Tunis.

This season, teams removed in the first two rounds will each receive USD 100,000 to assist cover logistical costs as part of CAF’s push to motivate greater participation, a move reflected in the record number of clubs registered for the 2025/26 campaign.

The Preliminary Round kicks off with first-leg matches from September 19th to 21st, 2025, pursued by the second legs from September 26th to 28th.

The Second Preliminary Round will run from October 17th to 19th (first leg) and October 24th to 26th (second leg).

The Group Stage begins on November 21st, 2025, with the knockout phase scheduled to start on 13 March 2026.

Shina OludareBetopick