Sudan’s Al Hilal SC have been drawn against Burundi Premier League champions Aigle Noir CS in the first preliminary round of the 2026/2027 TotalEnergies CAF Champions League.

The draw was conducted on Friday in Cairo, Egypt.

The 2025/2026 quarter finalists Al Hilal SC will play the first leg in Burundi between September 4-6^th, and later hosts their return leg in Kigali between September 11-13^th.

Incase they go past the first hurdle, Sudan’s Al Hilal SC will then face the winner between Aigloms FC N’Djamena (Chad) and Sidaama Buna FC (Ethiopia).

“The CECAFA Kagame Cup has given us good preparations ahead of the CAF Champions League,” says Al Hilal SC head coach Guy Bukasa Misakabu.

South Sudan Premier League champions El Merriekh SC Bentiu will also make a return to the competition when they face Heegan SC (Somalia), while Gor Mahia FC (Kenya) take on Pyramids FC (Egypt) in the first preliminary round.

Uganda’s Vipers SC will take on Mauritania’s giants FC Nouadhibou, APR FC (Rwanda) face Les Aigles Du Congo, while Young Africans SC (tanzania) play Botswana’s Gaborone Utd FC.

The three highest-ranked clubs earned a bye through the first preliminary round: South Africa’s Mamelodi Sundowns, Esperance and Renaissance Berkane.

The second preliminary round follows a similar pattern. First legs fall between 16 and 18 October, and the return matches take place from the 23rd to the 25th.

Fresh from taking part in the CECAFA Kagame Cup, Mogadishu City Club FC will face Kitara FC (Uganda) in the first preliminary round of the TotalEnergies CAF Confederation Cup.

The two teams were drawn together during the official draw conducted by the Confederation of African Football (CAF) on Thursday in Cairo, Egypt.

Mogadishu City Club who will host their matches in Nairobi, Kenya will play the first leg at home before traveling to Uganda. The first leg matches will take place September 4-6^th, while the return legs are slated for September 11-13^th.

The winner between the Ugandan team and Mogadishu City Club will face African giants Al Ahly SC in the second preliminary in October.

Sudan’s Al Hilal Alsahii and Walwalo Adigrat USC (Ethiopia) will also face off, with the winner facing the winner between KMKM SC (Zanzibar) and Al Ahly Tripoli in the second preliminary round.

Tanzania Premier League side who were exempted from the first preliminary round will face the winner between ZED FC (Egypt) and ASAS Djibouti Tel.

Rwanda’s Rayon Sport FC who are in the CECAFA Kagame Cup final on Friday will tussle it out with Pathere Sportive FC in the first round, while Burundi’s Rukinzo FC take on Durban City FC (South Africa) in the first preliminary round.

Two other matches involving teams from the CECAFA Zone will see Al Ahli Madani (Sudan) face Tusker FC (Kenya), while South Sudan’s Al-Ghazala SC battle Singida Black Stars FC (Tanzania).

The Second Preliminary Round will begin from October 16-18, before the decisive return legs are staged from October 23-25.

Football Kenya Federation (FKF) has requested to host the CECAFA Challenge Cup 2027.

Paulous Weldehaimanot Andermariam, President of the President of the Council of East and Central Africa Football Associations (CECAFA) has reveled that they are in talks with Kenya about the Challenge Cup.

“Kenya has already requested us to host the CECAFA Senior Challenge Cup which they also want to use to launch one of their new Stadiums,” says Andermariam.

He made it clear that they are working hard to ensure that the Senior Challenge Cup returns because it is the biggest tournament in the Zone for national teams. “We need to return back the Senior Challenge Cup and also find sponsors,” added the CECAFA President.

Andermariam explained that it has been difficult to organize the CECAFA Senior Challenge Cup in the past years because of congested local and International calendars.

The last CECAFA Senior Challenge Cup was held in Uganda where the hosts defeated Eritrea in the final.

The CECAFA Senior Challenge Cup is Africa’s oldest regional football tournament, organized by CECAFA for national teams in East and Central Africa. It evolved from the Gossage Cup (1926) and Challenge Cup (1967) before becoming the modern CECAFA Kagame Cup Cup in 2002.

Sudan’s Al Hilal SC and Rayon Sport have recorded wins in their first outings in the on-going CECAFA Kagame Cup 2026.

Al Hilal SC defeated Tusker FC (Kenya) 2-0 in the opening Group C match, while Rwanda’s Rayon Sport also recorded a win with the same 2-0 score against KMZ FC from Zanzibar in the second match.

In the first match defender Kamaradini Mamudu gave Al Hilal SC the lead after 29 minutes at the Amahoro Stadium in Kigali.

But the Kenyan team continued to push forward with Aboud Omar’s attempt missing the target after 36 minutes.

After recess the two teams continued to create several scoring opportunities. Tusker FC Captain Omar had three free-kicks parried away by the Al Hilal goalkeeper Soufiane Farid Quedraogo.

With the cloak ticking away with five minutes of added time indicated by the fourth official, substitute Salim Adams made it 2-0 for Al Hilal SC. He made no mistake beating Tusker’s goalkeeper Francis Odour Onyango from close range.

Guy Bukasa Misakabu, the Al Hilal SC coach said he was happy with the win in their opening match. “We are just coming back from a short holiday and the players are not yet very fit. But it is good to win the opening match in such a tournament,” added Misakabu.

In the second match, Zanzibar Premier League reigning champions KVZ FC frustrated Rayon Sport FC for most of the first half, before scoring in the second half.

After 67 minutes the home side were awarded a penalty after a KVZ FC defender fouled in the box. Substitute Junior Herman Kameni made no mistake sending the KVZ FC goalkeeper Hamad Ubwa Hamad the wrong side to make it 1-0.

Rayon Sport FC continued to push forward before they netted the second goal through Daniel Muhoza after 80 minutes.

Action continues on Monday with two Group A matches on card. Kenya’s Gor Mahia FC will face Vipers SC (Uganda) in the first match, while Garde Republicaine FC (Djibouti) battle home side APR FC in the second match at the Kigali Pele Stadium.