CAF branding during the CAF Champions League 2025/26 Draw ©Muzi Ntombela/BackpagePix
Tuesday Feb 17, 2026. 14:29
The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has conducted the draws for the quarterfinals of both the CAF Champions League and CAF Confederation Cup, held at the Egyptian Football Association headquarters in Cairo on Tuesday afternoon.
In the Champions League, reigning African kings Pyramids FC of Egypt will battle Morocco’s ASFAR, with the Armed Forces team hoping to upset the Cairo club’s hopes of a second successive continental triumph.
Twelve-time champions Al Ahly of Egypt will renew a long-standing rivalry with Esperance de Tunis, while reigning Confederation Cup champions RS Berkane will test their skills against Sudan’s in-form Al Hilal.
Last season’s runners-up, Mamelodi Sundowns, tackle Stade Malien in a South v West battle.
For the semifinals, the winners of the Esperance-Ahly and Sundowns-Malien ties are on the same side of the draw, while ASFAR-Pyramids and Berkane-Hilal have been bracketed together.
In the Confederation Cup draw, two-time winners Zamalek SC of Egypt were paired with Congo’s AS Otoho, while DR Congo’s AS Maniema Union will try to upset Algeria’s USMA.
Moroccan clubs OC Safi and Wydad Casablanca will have an all-Botola Pro showdown, while Al Masry (Egypt) and CR Belouizdad (Algeria) face off in a North African derby.
In terms of semifinal paths, the winners of the Maniena-USMA and Safi-Wydad ties will battle in the penultimate round, while Masry-CRB and Otoho-Zamalek are on the other side of the draw.
The quarterfinals for both the Champions League and Confederation Cup are scheduled to get underway with first leg matches on the weekend of 13-15 March, while the return legs are slated for 20-22 March.
CAF Confederation Cup quarterfinal draw
Al Masry v CR Belouizdad
AS Otoho v Zamalek SC
OC Safi v Wydad Casablanca
AS Maniema Union v USMA
CAF Champions League quarterfinal draw
Esperance ST v Al Ahly
Mamelodi Sundowns v Stade Malien
ASFAR v Pyramids FC
RS Berkane v Al Hilal