Home start in group competition for ‘Downs but Chiefs must go away

Mamelodi Sundowns and Stellenbosch will start their group phase campaign in the African club competition at home later this month, but South Africa’s other representative, Kaizer Chiefs, must travel away for their opening clash.

The release of the fixtures for the group competition in the African Champions League sees Sundowns start home on either Friday, 21 November, or Saturday, 22 November, to St Eloi Lupopo, the Congolese club that eliminated Orlando Pirates in the previous round.

What a Group Stage this will be! 😮‍💨

The 2025/26 #TotalEnergiesCAFCL & #TotalEnergiesCAFCC groups. pic.twitter.com/9250JW3lnY

— TotalEnergies CAFCL & CAFCC 🏆 (@CAFCLCC) November 3, 2025

It is the second successive trip to South Africa for the Lubumbashi-based side, who were 3-0 up from their home leg against the Buccaneers but then lost 3-0 at the Orlando Stadium, only to go on and win the tie on post-match penalties.

Stellenbosch get their Confederation Cup Group C campaign under way home to Congo’s AS Otoho in Cape Town on Sunday, 23 November.

The same day, Chiefs will be away in their opening Group D game to Al Masry of Egypt.

There will be two rounds of group phase matches the following weekend before competition then takes a lengthy hiatus until after the completion of the Africa Cup of Nations finals in January.

Sundowns’ second game in Group C is away at Rulani Mokwena’s Mouloudia Alger on either 28 or 29 November.

Stellenbosch go away to Singida Black Stars in Tanzania on 30 November, while Chiefs host Zamalek at Soccer City the same day – some 32 years after they last hosted the Cairo giants.

CAF Champions League

Matchday one (Nov 21-22)

Gp A: Renaissance Berkane (Morocco) v Power Dynamos (Zambia), Pyramids (Egypt, holders) v Rivers

Utd (Nigeria)

Gp B: Al Ahly (Egypt) v JS Kabylie (Algeria), Young Africans (Tanzania) v Royal Armed Forces (Morocco)

Gp C: Mamelodi Sundowns (South Africa) v FC St Eloi Lupopo (DR Congo), Al Hilal (Sudan) v Mouloudia Alger (Algeria)

Gp D: Esperance (Tunisia) v Stade Malien (Mali), Simba (Tanzania) v Petro Atletico (Angola)

Matchday two (Nov 28-29)

Gp A: Rivers v Berkane, Power v Pyramids

Gp B: FAR v Ahly, Kabylie v Yanga

Gp C: Mouloudia v Sundowns, Lupopo v Hilal

Gp D: Petro v Esperance, Malien v Simba

Matchday three (Jan 23-24)

Gp A: Power v Rivers, Berkane v Pyramids

Gp B: Kabylie v FAR, Ahly v Yanga

Gp C: Lupopo v Mouloudia, Sundowns v Hilal

Gp D: Malien v Petro, Esperance v Simba

Matchday four (Jan 30-31)

Gp A: Rivers v Power, Pyramids v Berkane

Gp B: FAR v Kabylie, Yanga v Ahly

Gp C: Mouloudia v Lupopo, Hilal v Sundowns

Gp D: Petro v Malien, Simba v Esperance

Matchday five (Feb 6-7)

Gp A: Power v Berkane, Rivers v Pyramids

Gp B: Kabylie v Ahly, FAR v Yanga

Gp C: Lupopo v Sundowns, Mouloudia v Hilal

Gp D: Malien v Esperance, Petro v Simba

Matchday six (Feb 13-14)

Gp A: Berkane v Rivers, Pyramids v Power

Gp B: Ahly v FAR, Yanga v Kabylie

Gp C: Sundowns v Mouloudia, Hilal v Lupopo

Gp D: Esperance v Petro, Simba v Malien

African Confederation Cup

Matchday one (Nov 23)

Gp A: USM Alger (Algeria) v San Pedro (Ivory Coast), Djoliba (Mali) v Olympique Safi (Morocco)

Gp B: Wydad Casablanca (Morocco) v Nairobi United (Kenya), Maniema Union (DR Congo) v Azam (Tanzania)

Gp C: Chabab Belouizdad (Algeria) v Singida Black Stars (Tanzania), Stellenbosch (South Africa) v AS Otoho

(Congo)

Gp D: Zamalek (Egypt) v ZESCO United (Zambia), Al Masry (Egypt) v Kaizer Chiefs (South Africa)

Matchday two (Nov 30)

Gp A: Safi v USM, Pedro v Djoliba

Gp B: Azam v Wydad, Nairobi v Maniema

Gp C: Otoho v Belouizdad, Singida v Stellenbosch

Gp D: Chiefs v Zamalek, ZESCO v Masry

Matchday three (Jan 25)

Gp A: Pedro v Safi, USM v Djoliba

Gp B: Nairobi v Azam, Wydad v Maniema

Gp C: Singida v Otoho, Belouizdad v Stellenbosch

Gp D: ZESCO v Chiefs, Zamalek v Masry

Matchday four (Feb 1)

Gp A: Safi v Pedro, Djoliba v USM

Gp B: Azam v Nairobi, Maniema v Wydad

Gp C: Otoho v Singida, Stellenbosch v Belouizdad

Gp D: Chiefs v ZESCO, Masry v Zamalek

Matchday five (Feb 8)

Gp A: Pedro v USM, Safi v Djoliba

Gp B: Nairobi v Wydad, Azam v Maniema

Gp C: Singida v Belouizdad, Otoho v Stellenbosch

Gp D: ZESCO v Zamalek, Chiefs v Masry

Matchday six (Feb 15)

Gp A: USM v Safi, Djoliba v Pedro

Gp B: Wydad v Azam, Maniema v Nairobi

Gp C: Belouizdad v Otoho, Stellenbosch v Singida

Gp D: Zamalek v Chiefs, Masry v ZESCO.