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.

South African Premier League side, Kaizer Cheifs FC have signed Tanzanian defensive midfielder Adolf Mtasingwa Bitegeko.

The gifted Bitegeko moves from Tanzania Premier League side Azam FC to Kaizer Chiefs FC on a two-year contract.

He becomes the first Tanzanian player to sign for Kaizer Chiefs after completing his move from Azam FC.

David Obua and Ivan Bukenya from Uganda, together with Anthony Akumu (Kenya) are some of the other players from East Africa that have before featured for Kaizer Chiefs FC.

Mtasingwa takes valuable experience yo Kaizer Chiefs FC, having spent six seasons in Scandinavia, playing in the Icelandic, Norwegian and Finnish leagues. He returned home in 2024 to help Azam FC finish third in the Tanzanian League last season.

The Tanzanian international has filled the role of vice-captain for his national team.

“We warmly welcome Adolf to the family and wish him success on his journey with the Glamour Boys,” said the Club.