Confederation of African Football (CAF)has officially released the match calendar for the 2026/27 CAF Champions League, establishing the precise road ahead for Kenyan giants Gor Mahia.
K’Ogalo earned their ticket back to continental club football by reclaiming their domestic throne, storming to a record-extending 22nd Sportpesa League title under Ghanaian head coach Charles Akonnor.
Gor Mahia dramatically sealed the championship with two games to spare in late May after their fiercest rivals, AFC Leopards, slipped up against APS Bomet.
The domestic triumph allowed K’Ogalo to reclaim the league crown from previous winners Kenya Police FC and shift their focus fully toward the demanding club licensing and preparation required for Africa’s elite tournament.
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Gor Mahia will embark on the continental journey in the first preliminary round, with the first-leg matches scheduled between September 4 and 6, 2026, followed by the return legs a week later from September 11 to 13, 2026.
Should they successfully navigate their opening opponent, they will advance to the second preliminary round, where the first-leg fixtures are set for October 16 to 18, 2026, and the decisive second-leg encounters take place between October 23 and 25, 2026.
The CAF Confederation Cup will also follow the same schedule as the CAF Champions League, with Kenya being represented by Tusker FC, who secured a place in the competition after clinching the Football Kenya Federation (FKF) Cup by defeating Kenya Police FC 2-1 in the final in Kwale on June 14 this year.
The Brewers will be aiming to emulate Nairobi United’s impressive campaign last season, when they progressed all the way to the group stage.
Surviving these preliminary qualifiers will earn Gor Mahia a spot in the lucrative tournament group stage, which spans late 2026 and early 2027.
Crucially, just by securing their spot in the tournament, Gor Mahia have already guaranteed themselves a financial windfall.
Under CAF’s updated financial structures, the continental body provides a direct solidarity grant of USD 100,000 to every club participating in the preliminary rounds to help cushion the heavy travel and accommodation logistics involved in playing across the continent.
This means even if K’Ogalo are knocked out early, they are legally assured of pocketing this base amount.
However, should they fulfill their ambitions and navigate their way deeper into the tournament, the cash rewards scale up exponentially, with teams reaching the group stages taking home at least USD 700,000, and the eventual champions banking a staggering grand prize of USD 6 million.
Full dates for 2026/27 CAF Champions League and Confederation Cup
The Preliminary Rounds:
- First Preliminary Round: 4-6 September 2026 (First Leg)
- First Preliminary Round: 11-13 September 2026 (Second Leg)
- Second Preliminary Round: 16-18 October 2026 (First Leg)
- Second Preliminary Round: 23-25 October 2026 (Second Leg)
The Group Stage Fixtures have been scheduled as follows:
- Matchday 1: 27-29 November 2026
- Matchday 2: 4-6 December 2026
- Matchday 3: 18-20 December 2026
- Matchday 4: 8-10 January 2027
- Matchday 5: 15-17 January 2027
- Matchday 6: 22-24 January 2027
The Knockout Stage Fixtures:
- Quarterfinals: 26-28 February 2027 (First Leg)
- Quarterfinals: 5-7 March: 2027 (Second Leg)
- Semifinals: 9-11 April 2027 (First Leg)
- Semifinals: 16-18 April 2027 (Second Leg)
- Finals: 9-31 May 2027