Nigeria’s Rangers International and Rivers United will begin their quest for continental success this weekend as the first preliminary round of the 2026/27 CAF Champions League gets underway across Africa.
The first legs are scheduled for September 4 to 6, with return matches from September 11 to 13. Fifty-eight clubs will contest 29 two-legged ties in the opening round.
NPFL champions Rangers will begin at home against Benin Republic’s SOBEMAP FC before travelling for the second leg.
Should the Flying Antelopes progress, they will meet the winners of the tie between ASN Nigelec of Niger Republic and Algerian giants MC Alger in the second preliminary round.
Rangers return to Africa’s premier club competition hoping to make an impact that reflects the continental history of the Enugu club, whose biggest African triumph remains the 1977 African Cup Winners’ Cup.
In a related development, Tunisian giants CS Sfaxien have arrived in Nigeria ahead of their CAF Confederation Cup preliminary round first-leg encounter with Shooting Stars Sports Club on Saturday.
The North African side touched down ahead of Saturday’s encounter at the MKO Abiola Sports Arena in Abeokuta.
Kick-off is scheduled for 4pm.
Shooting Stars will be seeking a positive home result to strengthen their chances of progressing before travelling for the return leg.
The tie marks the beginning of the Ibadan club’s continental campaign and provides an early test against a side with considerable experience in African club football.
The Oluyole Warriors is returning to the continent for the first time in 27 years and Salisu Yusuf led technical crew will hope to make it count.
Nigeria have four representatives across CAF’s two major club competitions this season, with Shooting Stars and El-Kanemi Warriors competing in the Confederation Cup.