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Nigeria’s four continental representatives — Remo Stars, Rivers United, Abia Warriors, and Kwara United — will discover their preliminary round opponents in the CAF Champions League and CAF Confederation Cup when the draw is held this Saturday, August 9, in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.
This marks the first time the CAF InterClub competition draws will be hosted in Tanzania, one of the co-hosts of the ongoing African Nations Championship (CHAN).
Unlike top-seeded clubs from Morocco and Egypt, which have earned exemptions from the preliminary stages due to their superior club coefficients, Nigeria’s flagbearers are expected to feature from the opening round of matches.
CAF Confederation Cup holders RS Berkane of Morocco are among the Champions League clubs automatically exempted, along with Al Ahly of Egypt, Mamelodi Sundowns (South Africa), Espérance de Tunis (Tunisia), and Petro Atlético (Angola).
The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has announced two of Tanzania’s most celebrated football icons as Draw Assistants for Saturday’s historic event in Dar es Salaam
Simba SC legend Abdalla “King” Kibadeni Mputa and Young Africans SC trailblazer Sunday Manara will take centre stage at the state-of-the-art Azam Media Studios, CAF’s strategic broadcast hub in East Africa, for the draws of Africa’s flagship interclub competitions.
This year’s ceremony, scheduled for 13:00 local time (10:00 GMT), will be the first-ever CAF Interclub season draw hosted in East Africa — a landmark moment that underscores the region’s growing influence, with rising stadium attendances and expanding television audiences for CAF competitions. The event will be broadcast live across all CAF Broadcast Partners and streamed on CAF’s official YouTube channel, CAF TV.
CAF Profiles the Legends
Kibadeni, fondly known as “King Mputa,” became a household name in East African football when he became the first Simba SC player to score a hat-trick in the fiercely contested Kariakoo Derby against Young Africans SC in 1977. After his playing career, he successfully transitioned into coaching, earning the Coach of the Season award with Kagera Sugar FC in 2013.
Manara, meanwhile, holds the distinction of being the first Tanzanian to play professional football in Europe, signing with Dutch side Heracles Almelo in 1977 after debuting for Young Africans SC in 1970. His career took him across the globe, with spells in the Netherlands, the United States, Australia, and the United Arab Emirates, helping put Tanzanian football firmly on the international map.
Roadmap to the New Season
The Preliminary Round of the CAF Champions League and CAF Confederation Cup will begin on 19 September 2025, followed by the Second Preliminary Round from 17 October 2025. Group Stage action kicks off on 21 November 2025, with the knockout phase scheduled to start on 13 March 2026.
Saturday’s event will not only reveal the opening matchups for Africa’s top club sides but will also celebrate East Africa’s rising role in shaping the future of African football.