Ghanaian giants Asante Kotoko will open their 2025/26 CAF Confederation Cup campaign with a clash against Nigerian side Kwara United in the first preliminary round of the competition.
The draw, held earlier today in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, has set the stage for an exciting start for the Reds’ African venture.
The first leg will be played in Kumasi between 19–21 September 2025, with the return leg scheduled for 26–28 September 2025 in Nigeria.
The club that will secure victory over the two-legged tie will set up for a highly anticipated clash with Moroccan giants and recent FIFA Club World Cup participants, Wydad Athletic Club, in the next round.
Kwara United, popularly known as the Harmony Boys, are based in Ilorin, the capital of Kwara State in western Nigeria. They play their home matches at the 18,000-capacity Kwara State Stadium and Founded in 1974.
Should Kotoko progress, their next opponents are familiar faces on the African stage, Wydad Athletic Club of Morocco.
The Casablanca-based side are one of Africa’s most successful clubs, boasting three CAF Champions League titles, an African Cup Winners’ Cup title, and several Moroccan league triumphs. Wydad appeared at the FIFA Club World Cup just last month and remain a formidable force on the continent.
Kotoko and Wydad share a notable piece of history, having met in the 2002 African Cup Winners’ Cup final, a contest narrowly won by the Moroccans on away goals.
CAF CONFEDERATION CUP STRUCTURE AND KEY DATES
The 2025/26 CAF Confederation Cup begins with two preliminary rounds before the playoff stage and the lucrative group phase:1. First Preliminary Round – 64 teams compete home and away, with
Aggregate winners advancing.
Second Preliminary Round – 32 winners progress to face higher-ranked Clubs entering at this stage.
Group Stage – 16 teams divided into four groups of four, playing in a Round-robin format (home and away). Top two teams in each group Progress to the quarter-finals.
CAF schedules matches over a three-day weekend window, with home-and-
Away ties determined by the draw. Away goals apply if aggregate scores are Level, followed by a penalty shootout if necessary, extra time is not played in The preliminary rounds.
