CAF Champions League Draw Hands Rivers United Favourable Tie, Rangers Set for West African Derby

CAF Champions League Draw Hands Rivers United Favourable Tie, Rangers Set for West African Derby

By Niyi Busari 

Nigeria's representatives in the 2026/27 CAF Champions League, Rangers International and Rivers United, have discovered the opponents standing between them and the competition's lucrative group stage following Thursday's preliminary round draw conducted by the Confederation of African Football (CAF) in Cairo, BSNSports.com.ng reports.

The draw, which determined fixtures for both the first and second preliminary rounds, outlined the route each club must navigate to reach the group phase of Africa's premier club competition.

Rivers United, benefiting from a strong CAF coefficient earned through consistent performances in recent continental campaigns, enter the tournament as one of the competition's seeded clubs. Ranked 24th in Africa with 15 CAF coefficient points, the Port Harcourt side have been paired with Côte d'Ivoire's FC San Pedro in the opening preliminary round.

On paper, the Nigerian club will head into the tie as favourites. FC San Pedro are ranked 60th in CAF's latest club coefficient standings, giving Rivers United a statistical advantage ahead of the two-legged encounter.

Should Rivers United overcome the Ivorian outfit, they will face either Uganda's Vipers SC or Mauritania's FC Nouadhibou in the second preliminary round, with a place in the group stage at stake.

For Rangers International, the journey promises to be more demanding.

The reigning Nigeria Premier Football League champions entered the competition without a CAF ranking strong enough to secure seeding, placing them among the tournament's unranked clubs. As a result, the Flying Antelopes have been drawn against Benin Republic champions SOBEMAP in what is expected to be a fiercely contested West African derby.

Victory over SOBEMAP would set up a significantly tougher second-round clash against either Niger Republic's ASN Nigelec or Algerian heavyweights MC Alger, one of the continent's most experienced clubs.

The preliminary draw attracted 61 participating clubs, three fewer than the 64 teams required for a full Round of 64. Consequently, CAF granted automatic passage into the second preliminary round to the competition's three highest-ranked clubs—South Africa's Mamelodi Sundowns, Tunisia's Espérance and Morocco's RS Berkane.

The remaining 58 clubs will compete across the first preliminary round, with the 29 winners joining the three exempted teams in the second qualifying phase.

CAF's seeding process was based on each club's coefficient ranking, calculated from performances in continental competitions over the past five seasons. The governing body also considered geographical proximity when finalising pairings, a measure designed to reduce travel costs and logistical challenges during the qualifying rounds.

Elsewhere in the draw, defending African giants Mamelodi Sundowns will begin their campaign against either Angola's Wiliete Benguela or Seychelles' Foresters FC, while Espérance will face the winner between Libya's Swehly SC and KVZ FC.

Moroccan side RS Berkane await either Sierra Leone's Star Sport Academy or Gambia's Medina United, while Egyptian powerhouses Zamalek could face either Les Aigles du Congo of DR Congo or Rwanda's APR FC. Fellow Egyptian club Pyramids will take on the winner between South Sudan's El Merriekh Bentiu and Somalia's Heegan FC.

Tanzania's Simba SC have been paired with either Angola's 15 de Agosto or Comoros' Fomboni FC, while rivals Young Africans (Yanga) will meet the winner from the preliminary mini-group involving Madagascar's CFFA, Lesotho's Lijabatho FC and Botswana's Gaborone United.

South Africa's Orlando Pirates await either Gabon's AS Manga Sport or Namibia's African Stars, while Sudanese giants Al Hilal could face Chad's Aiglons FC N'Djamena or Ethiopia's Sidama Bunna.

Former African champions TP Mazembe have been handed a difficult first-round fixture against Ghana's Medeama SC, Djoliba AC will face either Tunisia's Club Africain or Côte d'Ivoire's Rahimo FC, while Guinea's Horoya take on Algeria's JS Saoura.

The first preliminary round will be played over two legs, with first-leg fixtures scheduled for September 4-6 and return matches from September 11-13. The decisive second preliminary round is slated for October 16-18, with the return legs taking place between October 23 and 25.

The winners of the second preliminary round will secure places in the 16-team CAF Champions League group stage, where Africa's elite clubs will compete for continental glory and qualification for the expanded FIFA Club World Cup pathway, alongside significant prize money and increased international exposure.