CAF Confederation Cup Draw

Asante Kotoko will open our 2025/26 CAF Confederation Cup campaign with a home fixture

against Nigerian side Kwara United in the first preliminary round of the competition. The draw,

held earlier today in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, has set the stage for an exciting start to our African

adventure.

The first leg will be played in Kumasi between 19–21 September 2025, with the return leg

scheduled for 26–28 September 2025 in Nigeria. Victory over the two-legged tie will set us up for

a highly anticipated clash with Moroccan giants and recent FIFA Club World Cup participants,

Wydad Athletic Club, in the next round.

Kwara United, popularly known as the Harmony Boys, are based in Ilorin, the capital of Kwara

State in western Nigeria. They play their home matches at the 18,000-capacity Kwara State

Stadium and Founded in 1974.

Should we progress, our next opponents are familiar faces on the African stage, Wydad Athletic

Club of Morocco. The Casablanca-based side are one of Africa’s most successful clubs, boasting

three CAF Champions League titles, an African Cup Winners’ Cup title, and several Moroccan

league triumphs. Wydad appeared at the FIFA Club World Cup just last month and remain a

formidable force on the continent. Kotoko and Wydad share a notable piece of history, having met

in the 2002 African Cup Winners’ Cup final, a contest narrowly won by the Moroccans on away

goals.

CAF CONFEDERATION CUP STRUCTURE AND KEY DATES

The 2025/26 CAF Confederation Cup begins with two preliminary rounds before the playoff stage and the lucrative group phase:1. First Preliminary Round – 64 teams compete home and away, with

Aggregate winners advancing.

2. Second Preliminary Round – 32 winners progress to face higher-ranked

Clubs entering at this stage.

3. Group Stage – 16 teams divided into four groups of four, playing in a

Round-robin format (home and away). Top two teams in each group

Progress to the quarter-finals.

CAF schedules matches over a three-day weekend window, with home-and-

Away ties determined by the draw. Away goals apply if aggregate scores are

Level, followed by a penalty shootout if necessary, extra time is not played in

The preliminary rounds.