With opponents already confirmed and kickoff dates set for September, Nigeria’s four CAF representatives now face a squad registration deadline before their continental campaigns can begin.
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Nigerian clubs competing in the 2026/27 CAF inter-club competitions have been given August 15 as the deadline to submit their squad lists for the first preliminary round, sportsration.com reports.
The deadline applies to all four Nigerian representatives Rangers International and Rivers United, who will compete in the CAF Champions League, and Shooting Stars and El-Kanemi Warriors, who will campaign in the CAF Confederation Cup. Clubs are required to register all eligible players and submit their lists to the Confederation of African Football before the deadline, with failure to comply risking their participation in the opening round.
The Opponents Already Confirmed
With preliminary-round draws already completed, all four clubs know exactly who stands between them and a place in the group stages. Rangers International, the reigning NPFL champions, will face Benin Republic’s AS Sobemap, hosting the first leg before travelling for the return fixture. Rivers United, who finished as league runners-up, take on Ivorian side FC San Pedro, starting away before hosting the second leg in Nigeria.
In the Confederation Cup, Shooting Stars, who reached continental football for the first time in 27 years after finishing third in the NPFL, have been handed a tough draw against Tunisia’s CS Sfaxien, a four time winner of the competition. El-Kanemi Warriors, who qualified by winning the President Federation Cup, begin their campaign against Guinea-Bissau’s UDIB, with a potential second round meeting against Moroccan giants Raja Casablanca awaiting the winner.
| Club | Competition | First-Round Opponent |
|---|---|---|
| Rangers International | Champions League | AS Sobemap (Benin Republic) |
| Rivers United | Champions League | FC San Pedro (Côte d’Ivoire) |
| Shooting Stars | Confederation Cup | CS Sfaxien (Tunisia) |
| El-Kanemi Warriors | Confederation Cup | UDIB (Guinea-Bissau) |
A Rare Four-Club Campaign
This marks the first time in six years that Nigeria will have four clubs competing simultaneously across both CAF Champions League and Confederation Cup, the last such campaign coming in 2019/20 when Enyimba and Rangers represented the country. The first leg preliminary matches are scheduled for September 4 to 6, with return legs following from September 11 to 13.
📌 Did You Know?
- CAF has introduced a new $100,000 solidarity payment this season for clubs eliminated in the preliminary rounds, a cushion that didn’t exist in previous campaigns.
- This season’s CAF Champions League winners will earn $6 million in prize money, with the Confederation Cup champions taking home $4 million.
- AS Sobemap, Rangers’ first round opponents, are making their continental debut this season after winning their first ever league title in Benin Republic.
- Rivers United are the higher-ranked of Nigeria’s two Champions League entrants, sitting 24th in Africa’s CAF coefficient standings compared to opponents FC San Pedro’s 60th.
- Shooting Stars’ return to continental football ended a 27 year absence for the Ibadan club, making their draw against four time champions CS Sfaxien a daunting first test.
- El-Kanemi Warriors qualified for the Confederation Cup by winning the President Federation Cup, Nigeria’s oldest domestic cup competition.
- Should Rangers get past AS Sobemap, they would face the winner of Niger Republic’s ASN Nigelec against Algerian giants MC Alger in the second preliminary round.
