African Cups: Mamelodi Sundowns, Raja and Kaizer Chiefs play for qualification on October 23

Seven second-leg matches of the second preliminary round of the two CAF continental cups will be played on Friday, October 23, 2026. The winners of the ties will enter the group stage; the losers will exit African competition for the season. Among them is the reigning Champions League titleholder, Mamelodi Sundowns.

The reigning African champion with no margin for error

South Africa's Mamelodi Sundowns, the reigning African champions, did not score in the first leg in Angola against Wiliete de Benguela on October 18, 2026, ending in a 0-0 draw. This result leaves them without a safety net at home, as any draw other than 0-0 would eliminate them, notes Africa Top Sports.

In the same bracket, two clubs on the continent arrive with a two-goal lead secured at home: Nigeria's Enugu Rangers beat MC Alger 2-0, and Zimbabwe's Scottland FC won 2-0 against Petro Atlético de Luanda, according to the schedule published by Tuniscope. The Algerians and Angolans must therefore overturn the deficit on their home turf. Orlando Pirates, the other South African club involved, has a narrower but real advantage: 1-0 against Namibia's African Stars.

Confederation Cup: Casablanca open, Soweto under pressure

In the Confederation Cup, Raja Club Athletic hosts El Kanemi Warriors following a spectacular 2-2 draw in Nigeria: qualification remains wide open for both clubs, indicates the CAF. Kaizer Chiefs, another monument of South African football, must for its part erase a 1-0 defeat conceded against Zambia's Red Arrows. The third match of the day pits Angola's Primeiro de Agosto against the Democratic Republic of Congo's DC Virunga, with an Angolan advantage of 2-1 from the first leg, according to Africa Top Sports.

The rest of the weekend

The confrontations continue on October 24 and 25, 2026. In the Champions League, Espérance de Tunis trails 1-0 to Libya's Al-Swehly, ASEC Mimosas and Maghreb de Fès drew 1-1, as did Club Africain and TP Mazembe. Zamalek, Pyramids FC, and RS Berkane approach their return legs with one or two-goal leads.

In the Confederation Cup, CS Sfaxien must confirm their spot after a 1-1 draw in Abidjan against the Académie de Football Amadou Diallo, and AS FAR, the finalist of the last Champions League, restarts from a 0-0 draw obtained in Côte d'Ivoire against CO Korhogo. USM Alger is already qualified following the withdrawal of Equatorial Guinea's Panthers FC, specifies the CAF.

For these clubs, the group stage is not just a badge of honor: it guarantees six international matches, revenue, and a showcase that African national leagues do not offer.