Nigeria’s three continental representatives now have a firm date for kickoff, with preliminary rounds set to begin the first week of September.
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Nigerian clubs Rangers, Rivers United and Shooting Stars now know when their 2026/27 continental campaigns will begin, after the Confederation of African Football released the full match schedule for both the CAF Champions League and CAF Confederation Cup on Thursday.
The season opens with the first preliminary round, running as a two legged tie from 4-6 September for the first leg and 11-13 September for the return fixture. The second preliminary round follows in October, with first legs set for 16-18 October and deciding second legs from 23-25 October, before the group phase gets underway at the end of November.
Rangers, Rivers United In The Champions League
Rangers and Rivers United will represent Nigeria in the CAF Champions League this season, while Shooting Stars line up in the CAF Confederation Cup alongside whichever club wins the President Federation Cup, which also earns a continental slot in that competition.
Prize money remains unchanged from last season, with the Champions League winner set to collect $6 million and the Confederation Cup champion earning $4 million, keeping both competitions among the most lucrative on the continent for participating clubs.
With the schedule now confirmed, all three Nigerian sides can begin structuring their pre-season planning around the September start date, giving them roughly two months to prepare for continental action.
📌 Did You Know?
- Rangers qualified for continental football after winning a ninth NPFL title.
- The CAF Champions League winner’s prize of $6 million makes it one of the richest club competitions in African football.
- The President Federation Cup winner earns automatic qualification into the CAF Confederation Cup each season.
- CAF’s preliminary rounds are used to whittle down the full continental entry list before the group stage begins.
- Nigerian clubs have had mixed fortunes in recent CAF campaigns, with group-stage qualification remaining a key benchmark of success.
- The group phase for both CAF competitions traditionally begins in late November, giving qualified clubs a long continental season ahead.
