馃嚦馃嚞NigeriaWest Africa
CAF confirms clubs for 2026/27 Champions League qualifiers, including Enugu Rangers and Rivers United
via Punch Nigeria2 min read
The Confederation of African Football CAF has released the list of clubs participating in the qualifying rounds of the 2026/27 CAF Champions League. Nigeria will be represented by Enugu Rangers and Rivers United. Twenty-four clubs from 12 countries, including Algeria, Angola, C么te d鈥橧voire, DR Congo, Egypt, Mali, Morocco, South Africa, Sudan, Tanzania, and Tunisia, will each have two representatives. These clubs will begin their campaigns in the preliminary rounds. Additionally, 40 countries will each have a single representative, such as Medeama of Ghana, Gor Mahia of Kenya, and Vipers of Uganda. The representatives for Equatorial Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, and Somalia are still pending confirmation as their domestic leagues are unfinished. The first preliminary round is scheduled for September 4-6, with return legs on September 11-13. The second preliminary round will occur from October 16-18 and October 23-25. The group stage will commence on November 27-29 and continue through January 22-24. Quarter-finals are set for February 26-28 and March 5-7, with semi-finals on April 9-11 and April 16-18. The final of the 2026/27 CAF Champions League is slated for May, with the specific date yet to be announced.
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Former Minister of Aviation, Femi Fani-Kayode, has received his Letters of Credence, enabling him to assume duties as Nigeria's High Commissioner to South Africa, Lesotho, and Eswatini. Fani-Kayode announced this milestone on his verified X handle, expressing gratitude for the appointment. He noted that he received the documents after obtaining the necessary agr茅ment. The Letters of Credence were presented by Ambassador Sola Enikanolaiye, the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, on behalf of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. Fani-Kayode stated he would begin the process of reporting to Pretoria to present his Letters of Credence to South African President Cyril Ramaphosa. He described the appointment as a divine opportunity to serve Nigeria again, 20 years after his tenure as Minister of Aviation, and thanked President Tinubu for his confidence.
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