Tanzania’s Young Africans SC are the first team to qualify for the group stage of the 2026/2027 TotalEnergies CAF Champions League.

The Tanzanian giants defeated CFFA (Madagascar) 4-1 in the return leg of the second preliminary round in a match played on Wednesday at Azam Complex in Chamazi, Dar es Salaam.

After a 4-0 win in the first leg and a convincing win in the second leg, Young Africans SC have qualified on an 8-1 goal aggregate.

Ibrahim Kazimoto scored the opener after 27 minutes to give the home side the lead. A second-half brace by Selemani Mwalimu made it 3-0 for Young Africans, before CFFA pulled a goal back after 75 minutes. Later teenager Juma Issa Abushuri scored Young Africans 4^th goal.

Manqoba Mngqithi, Young Africans SC’s head coach says he is happy to qualify for the group stage of the competition. “I am happy that we are through to the group stage and now we return to the drawing board to prepare for other matches in the bust season,” says Mngqithi.

In another CAF Champions League match played in Dar es Salaam on Wednesday, Simba SC humbled 15 de Agosto 6-1 in the delayed first leg of the second preliminary round.

Ibrahim Doumbia netted a brace, while Nathaniel Chilambo, Elie Mpanzu, Keletso Makgalwa and Anicet Alain Oura scored for the Tanzanian Premier League side. The Equatorial Guinean team netted a consolation goal in added time.

The other second leg matches involving teams from the CECAFA Zone will be played over the weekend. Rwanda’s APR FC will play away to Zamalek, El Merriekh SC Bentiu will battle Pyramids FC, while Al Merrikh (Sudan) host Horoya Ac, all on October 24^th.

On Sunday Al Hilal (Sudan) will host Ethiopia’s Sidama Bunna in Kigali, while Simba SC play the return leg against 15 de Agosto also in Dar es Salaam.

Two teams Al HIlal and Young Africans SC are the only two teams that have registered wins in the first legs matches of the second preliminary round of the TotalEnergies CAF Champions League.

Sudan giants Al Hilal SC defeated hosts Sidama Bunna (Ethiopia) 2-0 in a match played at the Dire Dawa Stadium on Sunday.

Al Hilal took the led after 11 minutes when the hosts netted an own goal, and skipper Mohamed Abdelrahman at the stroke of full time.

Another match played on Sunday, Sudan Premier League side Al Merrikh SC suffered a 1-0 defeat away to Horoya Athletic Club in a match played at the 28 September Stadium, in Conakry, Guinea.

On Saturday Tanzania Premier League side, Young Africans SC also registered an emphatic 4-0 away win over Madagascar’s CFFA.

Young Africans SC took the lead after 39 minutes through Cheikh Touré, while Albert Kangwanda made it 2-0. Mudathir Yahya and Maxi Nzengeli also got their names on the score sheet.

Rwanda’s APR FC and El Merriekh SC Bentiu (South Sudan) suffered identical 1-0 home defeats to Egyptian sides Zamalek FC and Pyramids respectively on Friday.

Tanzania’s Simba SC will face 15 de Agosto (Equatorial Guinea) on October 20^th at the Uhuru Stadium in Dar es Salaam. The two legs will be played in Tanzania. The winners of matches in the second preliminary round over two legs will qualify to play in the 16 team group stage.

Results for CECAFA Teams

APR FC 0 Zamalek 1

El Merriekh SC Bentiu 0 Pyramids FC 1

CFFA 0 Young Africans SC 4

Sidama Bunna 0 Al Hilal SC 2

Horoya AC 1 Al Merrikh 0

Tanzania Premier League side Simba SC have advanced to the second preliminary sage of the 2026/2027 TotalEnergies CAF Champions League.

Simba SC thrashed Mighty Wanderers FC 6-1 in the second leg of the first preliminary round played at the Uhuru Stadium in Dar es Salaam on Sunday.

Clatous Chota Chama and Libasse Gueye scored a brace each, while Matiala Keletso Makgalwa and Morice Michael Abraham also had their names on the score sheet for Simba SC. Clement Nyondo netted the only goal for the Malawi Premier League side.

Simba will now face the winner between 15 de Agusto and Fumboni FC.

Another Tanzanian side Young Africans SC struggled to collect a 2-1 win against Gaborone United FC in a match played on Saturday at the Azam Complex.

Young Africans who advanced on a 3-2 goal aggregate will next face CFFA from Madagascar in the second preliminary round in October.

After drawing goalless in the first leg Sidama Bunna from Ethiopia defeated Aiglons 3-0 on Sunday. The Ethiopian side will now face Sudan’s Al Hilal SC in the second preliminary round in a battle of CECAFA teams.

On Sunday CECAFA teams KVZ FC (Zanzibar), Vipers SC (Uganda) and Kenya’s Gor Mahia FC all failed to advance to the next stage of the competition.

Al Merrikh (Sudan) who ejected Zambia’s Power Dynamos 2-0 on aggregate will now face Horoya AC in the next stage,

Rwanda’s APR FC who saw off DR Congo’s Les Algles du Congo 3-1 on aggregate will now face Zamalek FC. The Egypt side ejected AS Port (Djibouti) 6-1 on goal aggregate.

South Sudan’s El Merriekh SC Bentiu who saw off Heegan FC (Somalia) 4-0 on goal aggregate will now face Pyramids in the next round.  

In other matches played on Sunday, KVZ FC suffered a 3-0 defeat at home in Zanzibar, while Pyramids FC humbled Gor Mahia FC (Kenya) 5-1 to qualify on a 7-1 goal aggregate. Vipers SC who had managed a 1-1 draw in Kampala bowed out after the return leg ended goalless against FC Nouadhibou in Mauritania.

Second preliminary round fixtures for CECAFA teams

CFFA vs Young Africans SC

APR FC vs Zamalek FC

El Merriekh SC Bentiu vs Pyramids FC

Sidama Bunna vs Al Hilal SC

Horoya AC vs Al Merrikh

Rwanda Premier League giants APR FC have qualified for the second preliminary round of the 2026/2027 TotalEnergies CAF Champions League.

After losing the first leg 1-0 to Les Aigls du Congo last weekend, APR FC defeated the DR Congo side 3-1 in the return leg played at the Amahoro Stadium in Kigali on Friday.

Skipper Djibril Quattara netted in each half, while Christian Ishimwe also got his name on the score board after 58 minutes.

The match started with a high tempo with APR FC cheered on by the home fans attacking in numbers. After 32 minutes Quattara put the home side ahead and went into the interval without more goals.

Ishimwe made it 2-0 after 58 minutes, before Quattara picked his brace after 75 minutes. The win saw APR FC qualify on a 3-1 goal aggregate.

“I thank the team for responding well and getting the goals that have seen us qualify for the next round,” said APR FC’s head coach Abedrabbihi Taleb after the match.

APR FC will now wait to face the winner between AS Port (Djibouti) and former champions Zamalek (Egypt) in the second round of the preliminary stage. Zamalek lead 2-1 after the first leg and the return leg will be played on Saturday in Cairo, Egypt.

Action returns on Saturday with more teams from the CECAFA Zone in action. Al Hilal SC (Sudan) with a 2-0 advantage host Angie Noir FC (Burundi) at the Amahoro Stadium in Kigali, while Young Africans SC (Tanzania) host Gaborone United FC from Botswana at the Azam Complex.

South Sudan’s El Merriekh SC Bentiu with a 1-0 advantage will face Heegan FC (Somalia), Al Merrikh SC (Sudan) play away to Power Dynamos FC in Zambia.

On Sunday Zanzibar’s KVZ FC will play away to Swehly FC In Libya, Vipers SC (Uganda) face FC Noundhibou in Mauritania, Gor Mahia FC (Kenya) play Pyramids FC in Egypt, while Simba SC (Tanzania) host Mighty Wanderers FC.