North African giants dominate CAF inter-club quarter-final draws
CAF Champions League and CAF Confederation Cup
Regional heavyweights have claimed 12 spots in the CAF interclub quarter-finals. With the draw taking place in Cairo this Tuesday, who are your favourites for continental glory? Photo: Backpagepix
Image: Backpagepix
Football-crazy North African clubs have once again demonstrated their dominance in the 2025/26 CAF inter-club competitions.
Algeria, Egypt, Morocco, Sudan, and Tunisia all have a massive presence in the quarter-final draws for both the CAF Champions League and the CAF Confederation Cup. Collectively, Egypt, Morocco, Tunisia, and Sudan have six of the eight Champions League quarter-final slots.
The remaining two slots belong to Mali’s Stade Malien (Group D winners) and South Africa’s Mamelodi Sundowns (Group C runners-up).
Egypt has two teams in the competition: Al Ahly SC (Group B winners) and last season’s winners, Pyramids FC (Group A winners), both of whom are strong favourites. The two Moroccan teams are RS Berkane (Group A runners-up) and AS FAR (Group B runners-up). Espérance Sportive de Tunis, who finished as runners-up in Group D, will represent Tunisia. The sixth North African side will be Sudan’s Al Hilal Omdurman (Group C winners).
The North African contingent’s presence is equally strong in the Confederation Cup quarter-finals, where they also occupy six spots. Each of Algeria, Egypt, and Morocco has two teams:
Algeria: USM Alger and CR Belouizdad
Egypt: Zamalek SC and Al Masry SC
Morocco: Olympic Safi and Wydad AC
The remaining two slots went to Central African qualifiers AS Otohô and AS Maniema Union.
The quarter-finals draw will take place on Tuesday at the Egyptian Football Association headquarters in Cairo from 1pm. This pivotal event will determine the match-ups for the last eight teams in two of the continent’s most prestigious competitions, setting the stage for exhilarating clashes as teams target Africa’s elite silverware.
The draw will outline the route to the finals for both the Champions League and the Confederation Cup, revealing which clubs will face off in the later knockout stages.
* Herman Gibbs is a veteran sports journalist with five decades of experience in the field. He is a former Sports Editor of the Daily Voice, and is currently a senior sports contributor for Independent Media.