Heavyweight clash between Al-Ahly and Raja in the African Cup

Al-Ahly, third in the Egyptian league last season behind Zamalek and Pyramids, looks to return to continental podiums through the Confederation Cup, led by its Moroccan coach Hussein Ammouta, whose squad includes Moroccan players Soufiane Benjdida and Youssef Belammari—who previously played for Raja—and Achraf Bencharki, in addition to a constellation of top-tier stars in Egypt.

For its part, Raja, absent from continental titles for six seasons, seeks to reclaim the trophy and match the record shared by its compatriot RS Berkane and Tunisia's CS Sfaxien.

ASKO is participating for the second time in the competition since 1997, aiming to establish its presence and pull off a surprise, as is Primeiro de Agosto, which is participating for the fourth time and reached the quarter-finals in 2009 as its best achievement.

Group B witnesses a strong Moroccan-Libyan clash, featuring AS FAR, the runner-up of last season's Champions League and 2005 Confederation Cup winner, and Al-Ahli Tripoli, participating for the tenth time. Alongside them will be Tanzania's Azam FC, led by DR Congolese coach Florent Ibenge, as well as the newcomer South Africa's Durban City.

The military team was close to being crowned continental champion last season but fell in the final to South Africa's Mamelodi Sundowns.

The team is looking for its second title in the competition under the leadership of Portuguese coach Pedro Gonçalves and is relying on a group of veteran players.

As for Al-Ahli Tripoli, it is led by Egyptian coach Hossam El-Badry, and its squad includes DR Congolese striker Fiston Mayele, who arrived from Egypt's Pyramids this season.

The identity of the top-seeded team in Group C has not been decided, as three teams are competing for the spot, including Algeria's CR Belouizdad, which awaits the winner of the match between Mauritania's AS Douanes or Guinea's Horoya AC. The group also includes Maniema Union from DR Congo, Tanzania's Singida Fountain Gate, and Zambia's Red Arrows.

Horoya filed an appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) after its loss to AS Douanes in the first preliminary round, asserting that the Mauritanian team bears responsibility for the postponement of the second leg in Conakry, and is demanding its exclusion from the competition.

CR Belouizdad awaits the winner of this case to face them in the second preliminary round.

Algeria's USM Alger begins its defense of the title it won last season against Egypt's Zamalek on penalties, starting from Group D, which includes a stubborn competitor in Tunisia's CS Sfaxien, a three-time winner of the title (a record), as well as Mozambique's Black Bulls and Mali's Real Bamako.

The Confederation of African Football (CAF) ranked the clubs based on their results in club competitions over the past five seasons.

The group stage matches begin on November 27 and continue until January 24, 2027, with the first and second place teams from each group qualifying for the quarter-finals, which will be held between February 26 and March 7, while the semi-final matches will take place between April 9 and 18, with the two final matches scheduled for May 17 and 24.

Here is the draw:

Group A: Al-Ahly (Egypt), Raja Club Athletic (Morocco), ASKO Kara (Togo), Primeiro de Agosto (Angola)

Group B: AS FAR (Morocco), Azam (Tanzania), Al-Ahli Tripoli (Libya), Durban City (South Africa)

Group C: CR Belouizdad (Algeria) or AS Douanes (Mauritania) or Horoya (Guinea), Maniema (DR Congo), Singida (Tanzania), Red Arrows (Zambia)

Group D: USM Alger (Algeria), CS Sfaxien (Tunisia), Black Bulls (Mozambique), Real Bamako (Mali)