African Champions League: Zamalek wins 1-0 in Kigali, Mazembe and Orlando Pirates in action on October 17
On Friday, October 16, 2026, Zamalek secured a 1-0 away victory in Kigali against APR FC in the first leg of the CAF Champions League second preliminary round. That same evening, Pyramids FC won by the same scoreline away at El Merreikh Bentiu of South Sudan.
Two away wins, two leads to defend: both Cairo clubs have taken a serious step forward ahead of the return legs, scheduled for October 24, 2026, at 5:00 PM GMT in Egypt, according to Congo Quotidien.
Five matches on October 17
The schedule for Saturday, October 17, 2026, features five matches, according to Kawarji: CFFA (Madagascar) hosts Young Africans (Tanzania) at 1:00 PM, TP Mazembe welcomes Club Africain to Lubumbashi at 2:00 PM, African Stars (Namibia) challenges Orlando Pirates (South Africa) at the same time, followed by FC San Pédro (Ivory Coast) facing FC Nouadhibou (Mauritania) and Star Sport Academy (Sierra Leone) hosting RS Berkane (Morocco) at 5:00 PM.
The most anticipated match pits TP Mazembe against Club Africain. A five-time African champion, the Lubumbashi club faces a Tunisian opponent in a stadium that has often served as its fortress. The Tunisians, meanwhile, are playing for their continental survival: being knocked out in this round would mean their continental season ends before winter.
The real hurdle is the group stage
This second preliminary round is the final obstacle before the group stage: the sixteen winners secure their tickets, while the losers exit the competition. The return legs are set for October 23 to 25, 2026.
For the clubs from Southern, Eastern, and Western Africa playing this Saturday, the stakes go beyond prestige: the group stage guarantees matches, revenue, and continental visibility that these teams cannot find anywhere else during the season.
A lot of money is at stake behind these first-leg matches. CAF has increased its prize money in recent seasons, and qualifying for the group stage alone provides an African club with several months' worth of budget. For the teams from Southern, Eastern, and Western Africa playing this Saturday, advancing past this round is not just a matter of prestige.
This article was written in French with the help of artificial intelligence from the sources cited below, then translated from French automatically. Read the original.
